Bedford Board of Ed to Schedule Public Info Sessions on Bond
The Bedford Board of Education will soon be holding public information sessions related to the major facilities bond the district is contemplating for this May.
Trustee Alexandra White said that over the next month the board is going to schedule meetings at each of the district’s seven schools as part of a community conversation.
“We’re hoping to get feedback from folks in the community related to the very wide variety of possible items that could go into the bond, so please stay tuned for these dates to be shared soon,” White said.
District officials are considering a referendum that could be as high as $70 million that pays for infrastructure improvements at each one of the schools and enhances the facilities at the middle school and high school. Upgrades to the athletic facilities at the middle school-high school campus is also on the table.
Between now and March the board is expected to set a final list of items to be included in the bond. A vote would occur on May 17.
At last week’s board meeting, Trustee Steven Matlin called on his colleagues to consider holding one information session off of school grounds in each of the municipalities that the district covers. Matlin said there are many taxpayers in the communities that don’t have children in the school and district officials should make an attempt to include them in the feedback.
“While I appreciated that (the school meetings) are open to everybody, I would like to see more community outreach so those who don’t have kids in the school because these people vote and they pay taxes and they’re entitled to have a say,” he said.
Vice President Ed Reder responded that community members should get to see the schools and know what their money would pay for if the bond is successful.
“There are positives to have the community members actually see the facilities related to the bond ask,” Reder said.
Between the work on the bond and the 2022-23 budget, the Board of Education has meetings scheduled for 10 of 11 Wednesdays starting Jan. 26. The only week off is the week of Presidents’ Day.
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/
