Bridgehampton Voters Approve School Expansion Project

With 55 percent voter approval, Bridgehampton residents turned out Tuesday to support the Bridgehampton School District's efforts to expand and renovate the 86-year-old building.

The final vote was 167 to 135 in favor of the $24.7 million bond. Preliminary plans by the district's architect, John A. Grillo of Port Jefferson, show a 35,440-square-foot addition and other renovations to modernize the building.

"Thank you to the community," Lois Favre, the school superintendent, said after the results were announced in the gym on Tuesday night. "This is something the students need and deserve and I'm glad the community recognized that."

A new gym, locker rooms, fitness room, cafeteria, and science, technology, and music rooms are likely to be included in the plans, as are classrooms to accommodate the prekindergarten students, who are currently educated in one of three outdoor, modular classroom buildings that are at least 40 years old and have surpassed their life expectancies.

"I think [the final plans] will be fairly close to the draft, but I think we'll be open to input from all stakeholders as we move forward," Dr. Favre said.

The Bridgehampton School, in its current iteration, is the only local school that has not had a major capital improvement project since it was built in 1930.