"Which school shall we close?"

[Chris_Wendt]

Presuming the declining enrollment trend continues in Wantagh, and, presuming the Board of Education does not proactively engage with any other school district(s) to share administrative costs or to offer combined courses, then it is well within the realm of possibility that Wantagh will find itself confronting the question that has been sweeping across Long Island for the past decade:

"Which school shall we close?"

I know the most frequently guessed answer to that question has been "Mandalay".

But, having served on the Full-Day Kindergarten Committee, and more specifically, on the Transportation Subcommittee, I am of the opinion that the actual answer will much more likely be "Forest Lake".

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What are your thoughts on the question, if YOU were a member of the Board of Education in 2018, "Which school shall we close?"

Hmmm?

Chris Wendt

Log on and take the poll!

[Chris_Wendt]

Let's talk about the poll results.
Inconclusive.
Considerations:

Closing Wantagh Middle School is not a viable idea. However, the grade levels assigned to WMS could be revised as part of a district-wide restructuring and reorganization. This is not a new or ancient discussion, and, although it may not currently be on the public agenda, I first heard about it from an administrator within the past few years.

Wantagh Elementary is the largest elementary school and closing it would disrupt more students and incur greater transportation costs than closing either of the other two elementary schools, with only minimal additional savings to the district in comparison.

Mandalay has perhaps the lowest enrollment between itself and Forest Lake, but that fact alone is not sufficient justification for singling-out Mandalay for closure. However a simple logistical study could validate (or invalidate) my opinion that it would, on balance, make more sense to close Forest Lake, and divvy-up the effected students between Wantagh Elementary and Mandalay. Of course, those results will be very dependent upon the year this study will be undertaken.

Even then, however, the results from the logistical study would still have to be overlaid with a marketing study to determine such things as:

• Marketability of the property (land+building) for alternative uses
• Marketability of the property (land+building) for sale & disposal
• Net impact on home values in the attendance areas of each school considered for closing
• Net impact on the assessed valuation of all properties in each school's attendance areas to determine the impact on school tax rates across the entire district*

* If closing school "A" would reduce the total district assessed valuation by "X" millions of dollars but closing the school "B" would reduce the total district assessed valuation by "Y" millions of dollars, where X = 2Y, then closing the school "A" would cost all district taxpayers more than closing school "B" would have cost them in future property and school taxes.

Other consideration will weigh on the eventual decision, including but not limited to:

• Net comparative cost reduction, including the cost of upgrading the surviving school(s)
• Representation of the respective school's attendance areas on the Board of Education (politics)

No, this is something for next year, or even the year following. But if we just keep on raising our cost per pupil and not exploring meaningful cooperative activities with other school districts and BOCES, then I predict this decision will eventually have to be made.

Think about it.

Chris Wendt
[e-mail]

[Chris_Wendt]

I though about this issue over the weekend, when driving down Seaford Avenue on my way to the White Whale restaurant. The old Seaford Avenue School is now surrounded by security fencing, and on the corner of Waverly sits the Sales Office for The Seasons at Seaford, the coming condo complex that will replace this school, sold in the recent past by the Seaford Board of Education to reduce ongoing expenses, to generate up-front cash revenue from the sale, and, to put this property (development) on the tax rolls so that future residents, there, will pay taxes and help support the Seaford School District's financial situation.

That was three (3) irresistible reasons for closing and then selling another Long Island elementary school:

• Reduce ongoing expenses (about $100,000 for insurance, safety and security, annually, plus the avoidance of approximately $2 Million in future expense that would have been required for the school district to remediate hazards, mainly asbestos and legacy fuel contamination, at the site.
• Generate Up-Front Cash from the sale (dependent upon the final count of condo units to be built, but in any case) of several million dollars
• Put the Property on the Tax Rolls, which will eventually generate $400,000 to $500,000 annual revenue to the Seaford School District, plus another $200,00 to $300,000 annual revenue to the Town of Hempstead and Nassau County.

Additional "features" of this school closing and sale include:

• Elimination of an eyesore and attractive nuisance from the neighborhood
• No additional burden on the school district as the development will be 55+ age restricted, with no school-aged children permitted in residence
• Will provide an opportunity for more than 100 people to remain living on Long Island in new condo housing units with amenities, instead of relocating off of Long Island after retirement.

The Wantagh Board of Education should imagine the boost to the Seaford School District's finances, and the expected relief from future tax increases to the homeowners in Seaford once this deal has been fully implemented.

1. $100,000 removed from their spending budget every year.
2. $3- $4 Million cash in the bank
3. $400,000 - $500,000 additional tax revenue every year.

Plus, no more worries, headaches. or expenditures due to accidents, injuries, or hazard remediation projects at this site, because someone else now owns it.

Food for thought.....

Regards,

Chris Wendt
[e-mail]