Committee Votes to Recommend Shuttering Nesconset Elementary

The Citizens Advisory Committee voted Thursday night to recommend closing Nesconset Elementary to the Board of Education.

Of the 21 votes cast at the meeting, 17 were for the closing of Nesconset Elementary; four were for Mills Pond Elementary.

Thursday’s vote is considered incomplete, with seven absentee votes remaining. The votes, according to Director of Curriculum Jennifer Bradshaw, have no deadline but could be submitted as early as next week.

The committee’s recommendation, according to Bradshaw, will be formally presented to the board no later than Jan. 31, and depends on when the final draft of the committee’s report is complete. The report will show all the research conducted by the committee since its inception.

While the committee made its decision Thursday night, John Nolan, director of technology for the district, said there’s still a lot of work to do in the two remaining committee meetings.

“I think we’ve done a thorough study over these 16 meetings,” he said. “The next two meetings, as we started at the very end of tonight, will be to develop the report …and make sure the report represents the census of the committee.”

The two remaining meetings are set for Jan. 12 and Jan. 19, both at 7 p.m. in room 222A in the Joseph Barton Building on New York Avenue.

In addition to the closing recommendation, the present voting committee members unanimously decided to consider relocating the district’s central office to existing classroom spaces in the district if it is financially advantageous.

Anthony Clements, assistant plant facilities administrator, also presented rough estimates for securing a closed building, referred to as “mothballing” – the district would spend around $40,000 to board the dormant building, and around $800 per room to move everything from them. The estimates include labor performed by employees of the district during regular work hours.

Superintendent Edward Ehmann announced at the beginning of the meeting that the board is set to meet with four commercial realtors Jan. 18 and choose who they want to represent the district with the potential sale or rental of buildings and property.