Lawrence, L.I. NY - Residents OK Selling Unused Public School, Though Allocation Of Funds Remains A Concern

Lawrence, L.I. NY - Residents voted to authorize the sale of the No. 1 Elementary School, which closed two years ago because of dwindling enrollment. In a school district where the majority of its residents don't use public schools, the building served no use and a developer made a bid to buy it for $27.5 million.

The 1,832-to-726 vote set the stage for a key test for a school board controlled by mostly Orthodox Jewish members whose children attend religious private schools. Many in the community say they are hoping the money would go to bolster the district's coffers.
 
But some in the community were afraid that the money wouldn't go toward the six public schools in the district. School board member and public school parent Pamela Greenbaum said she worried that nothing will be done with the money and, by law, it would be returned to the taxpayers. "The school district has to decide what it's going to do with that money," she said. "That's the big 'if' in all of this."

Greenbaum said the best scenario would be to use the money for repairs and put leftover funds in a reserve for future school use. "And hopefully, the community can get along together and there would be some trust," she said.

Michael Hatten, a newly elected Orthodox Jewish member of the board, was optimistic voters would approve the building's sale. "It's an important vote," he said, calling it an opportunity to show the community that the school board, despite being controlled by those who use private schools, can serve the interests of the district.

Hatten said he hoped proceeds from the sale could be used to repair other buildings, and that any unused funds would be returned to taxpayers.