Northport rejects $8.9M school-field bond

Residents of the Northport-East Northport School district on Tuesday rejected an $8.9-million bond proposition by a vote of 1,197 to 1,158. The bond, defeated by 39 votes, would have allowed the district to ...

[Brittany]

YAY!! People are finally getting smart. School administration AND teachers make far too much money for what they do.

[FEDUP]

MOST EXCELLENT!!!! Our school taxes are high enough without having this extra bond!

[LIRR Hater]

I will tell you why I voted against it! I pay a fortune in property taxes and this year, I will spend $5,000 to send my child to Kindergarten because Northport does not have full day Kindergarten! That is the problem with this country, we will spend a fortune on unnecessary things athletic fields, students for 60,000,etc. and we will not spend the money on educational programs!

[Molly]

Brittany wrote:

YAY!! People are finally getting smart. School administration AND teachers make far too much money for what they do.

What do salaries have to do with upgrading athletic fields? Apparently, you're not getting smart if you think one has anything to do with the other.

[NIMBY Island]

LIRR Hater wrote:

I will tell you why I voted against it! I pay a fortune in property taxes and this year, I will spend $5,000 to send my child to Kindergarten because Northport does not have full day Kindergarten! That is the problem with this country, we will spend a fortune on unnecessary things athletic fields, students for 60,000,etc. and we will not spend the money on educational programs!

So you voted no because Northport doesn't supply you with a full time baby sitter. Stop leasing those expensive cars and pay for your own babysitter.

[Clear Vision]

Smart move. Paying off a 9 year bond for turf fields that need to be refreshed every 4 years or so would have been a terrible financial decision. Northport's bond debt ratio is too high anyway.

[Starbucks]

Cheap - cheap - cheap---Skip a cup of coffee a month and do something for your kids or at least the town you live in.. latte anyone???(don't forget to put up your pinky while sipping...)

[WakeUpPeople]

One main reason I voted NO, was because of the Board's attempt to sneak this through. Why wasn't it presented as a referendum when the budget was voted on? Why did the "Bored of EdjuKayshun" incur the extra expense of having a second public ballot? The election machines and the mechanic to tend them are not free.

Not a fiscally responsible move on the "Bored's" part! It's not like they didn't know about this Bond vote prior to the budget vote.

[Peace Frog]

Good move. LI finally fighting back !!

Good start Northport.

[DUH]

LIRR Hater wrote:

I will tell you why I voted against it! I pay a fortune in property taxes and this year, I will spend $5,000 to send my child to Kindergarten because Northport does not have full day Kindergarten! That is the problem with this country, we will spend a fortune on unnecessary things athletic fields, students for 60,000,etc. and we will not spend the money on educational programs!

You will be the one who sues the district when your kid breaks her/his ankle on the fields. AND so what you pay one time for full day K, which is totally unnecessary, why should I have to pay every year for full time K. Sit down and read to your kid for an extra hour or two. She/he would get more out of that then full K.

[WakeUpPeople]

DUH wrote:

<quoted text> You will be the one who sues the district when your kid breaks her/his ankle on the fields.

If the district saw that proper maintenance was done on the grounds then the field conditions would not be a contributing factor to a broken ankle. They don't and haven't maintained the fields we have.

DUH wrote:

<quoted text> Sit down and read to your kid for an extra hour or two. She/he would get more out of that then full K.

No disagreement here !

[LI Bri]

Had I had time to vote, I probably would've voted Yes. My kids use the fields, and they DO need repair. Part of me thinks the $8K/Yr I pay in property taxes would cover this, but the truth is the great schools and the great community I live are worth every penny of the $8k, so an extra $5/mo. won't kill anybody.

[James]

Why do these districts need even MORE MONEY for non -instructional sports. Arrogance.....Why are those playing fields not up to date on current budgets???? Oh yea, Overpaid administrators constaintly BLEEDING the budget dry...

[How much is too much]

Brittany wrote:

YAY!! People are finally getting smart. School administration AND teachers make far too much money for what they do.

How much do teachers make? What do you do to earn your money? I bet it is too much for an ignorant fool like yourself. Do not criticize what other people do until you walk a day in their shoes. I am sure the majority of the teachers work harder than you ever have or ever will. I can not stand idiotic people who have no clue what it is like for teachers and administrators dealing with over involved ridiculous parents. Stop blaming the teachers and the schools and start taking some responsibility for your own problems and the problems of your children.

[Involved Parent]

How much is too much wrote:

<quoted text>
How much do teachers make? What do you do to earn your money? I bet it is too much for an ignorant fool like yourself. Do not criticize what other people do until you walk a day in their shoes. I am sure the majority of the teachers work harder than you ever have or ever will. I can not stand idiotic people who have no clue what it is like for teachers and administrators dealing with over involved ridiculous parents. Stop blaming the teachers and the schools and start taking some responsibility for your own problems and the problems of your children.

I am a parent in the Northpport district, and have two girls in Northport High School. Both of them are having difficulty with their grades this year, and one will probabily require summer school due to poor overall, and failing finals grades. However, you know what? Their teachers are trying to pass her on to the next grade without the requirement of summer school!
When my wife and I moved here nine years ago, the Northport School District had an excellent reputation, but as I see it, that rep is long gone!

[Full Day Kindergarten]

DUH wrote:

<quoted text> You will be the one who sues the district when your kid breaks her/his ankle on the fields. AND so what you pay one time for full day K, which is totally unnecessary, why should I have to pay every year for full time K. Sit down and read to your kid for an extra hour or two. She/he would get more out of that then full K.

What town do you live in? Do you have full day Kindergarten? If so, why don't you petition the school board to cancel it if you don't think it is worth it?! Also, you feel that you shouldn't have to pay for my kid's full day Kindergarten because you don't use it? By your logic, there is some service that you and your children use that I don't use and therefore I don't want to pay for it!

[angry]

Brittany wrote:

YAY!! People are finally getting smart. School administration AND teachers make far too much money for what they do.

Not true! This would have not cost the taxpayers anything more, since it would have replaced the existing capital improvement budget. The fields are in terrible shape and the kids in Northport deserve better!

[DUH]

I live in Northport. My kids are in college. My family will benefit from neither full K or new fields. The No No No person and others have been posting about how they want full K and will vote against the fields because they don't have full K. More people in the community would benefit from the fields then full K.

[J MARR]

Northport school district took in over 1 "Billion"(thats right a Billion) dollars- with an average yearly budget of 100 million a year over the last 10 years.

Now my question is if you put 5% a year away into your building & grounds maintenance line item you would have 50 million over the last 10 year period.

Why are the football & baseball field falling apart-50 million not enough. Andrew Cuomo is going to be asked this same question-what are they doing with our tax money.Greedy SOB"S! Political hacks are in teachers union pockets!

[Didnt they]

put some money aside all these years for repairs? or did the taxpayer money line the pockets of teachers and assistants?