Mount Sinai officials outline $27.99 million bond proposal; vote set for Sept. 25

At a town hall, Mount Sinai Union Free School District Board President Nick DeVito and Superintendent Dr. Cristiani presented a proposed $27,993,000 bond package intended to address a series of infrastructure needs across the district, including roof replacements, bathroom renovations to meet ADA standards, playground and library upgrades, parking and roadway repairs, and the installation of one turf field. The district has scheduled the public vote for Sept. 25 and plans additional outreach, including an open house on Sept. 10 and an online comment form and packet of materials for residents.

The package, Dr. Cristiani said, responds to the district’s five-year building-condition review and the limits of the capital reserve. "The state reimburses us 78% for capital projects," she said, and "some projects are just too costly" to be funded from the reserve. Dr. Cristiani said district leaders also want to take advantage of current low interest rates. The district presented the $27,993,000 figure as the prioritized set of projects it would carry out first and said it has a secondary list of projects to pursue only if bids and contingencies leave funds available.

The district gave a specific example of homeowner impact: "The average tax increase would be $221 a year based on a $3,700 assessed home value," Dr. Cristiani said, and directed homeowners to the Town of Brookhaven website to check their individual assessed values. (The $221 figure was presented by the district as an estimate tied to the example assessment; homeowners should consult the town assessment for their actual liability.)

Key projects outlined by the district include a full roof rehabilitation at the elementary school (the district said parts of that roof are leaking and have not been replaced in more than 20 years), renovation of original student bathrooms to meet ADA requirements, modernization of the elementary library, replacement of deteriorating playground equipment, window and roof work at the middle school, auditorium-seat and floor replacement at the high school, gutter and standing-seam repairs, and repaving and reconfiguration of the driveway and parking areas between the elementary and middle schools to improve traffic flow and reduce illegal driving over grass areas.

On the athletics side, the district proposed installing one turf field on the corner field between the middle and high school. Superintendent Cristiani said turf was included partly for maintenance savings: "The more turf that we're able to put and replace our fields, the easier it is and the more cost savings we have as far as maintenance is concerned in the district," she said, noting the maintenance crew is small and turf reduces mowing and watering needs. Board members said the turf represents a modest share of the total package and that the board discussed pros and cons at length before including it.

Officials also described the district’s constraints and funding history. A district representative said the last bond vote in 2017 failed and the district has since used capital-reserve funds for smaller projects, but those reserves are neither large nor reliable enough to cover major items such as roadways and large-scale bathroom renovations. The representative said state aid has been essentially flat for the district in recent years and the tax levy is capped, creating a funding gap for major infrastructure work.

Audience members asked about the proposed roadway changes and parking; one attendee asked, "What's currently the grass? Is that gonna be a street? Will it increase parking?" Dr. Cristiani replied that a design is on display and described the plan to shift the main driveway against the fence, make other areas parking for each building and adjust bus lanes to ease dismissal logistics.

If the bond is approved by voters, officials said, project plans will be submitted to the New York State Education Department for approval and the district will issue RFPs and schedule work around the school calendar and contractor availability. Dr. Cristiani said the district intends to begin work as soon as state approvals and contracting timelines allow, prioritizing health-and-safety items and projects that require immediate attention.

Officials closed by directing residents to the district website where videos, handouts and a comment form will be posted for public questions and feedback. "There'll be a comment area on the website for any questions or comments that we can address in the future," Dr. Cristiani said. The district encouraged residents to attend the Sept. 10 open house and to consult the Town of Brookhaven assessment records if they want to estimate their personal tax impact.

The board has not yet taken a formal vote on the bond resolution at a board meeting; the town-hall session functioned as a public information forum. The next procedural step the district announced is the Sept. 25 public vote on the bond proposition.