The Sag Harbor School Board has officially adopted a $40 million capital improvement bond that residents will vote on in January.
The Pierson Capital Improvement Project, as the initiative is called, proposes upgrades to the high school gym, fitness and wellness center, technology and woodshop room, robotics lab, and Red Cross emergency shelter. It would also add a new marine science lab, a third music room, and a recording and streaming studio.
At a board meeting on Monday, Jeff Nichols, the district superintendent, said the project would change the educational programs and opportunities available to students for decades. “Based on my experience, when there are significant improvements to facilities, there are significant improvements to programs for years to come,” he said.
If it receives voter approval, the district would borrow $40 million, which would be paid back over 30 years. According to the district, for a house with a market value of $1 million, the cost would average $151.32 per year for the life of the bond, which works out to $12.61 per month.
If the bond passes in January, the district would immediately start soliciting bids for the work, with plans to break ground in July of 2027 and wrap up by the spring of 2029. The summer start date allows for the removal of cesspools on the property without subjecting students to the unpleasant smell, school officials said.
The district’s educational facilities planning committee tapped Michael J. Guido, an architect who has also worked for the East Hampton School District, for the proposal. The plan allows students to continue using the existing school facilities while renovations are ongoing.
The project addresses a 65-year-old gym showing decades of wear and tear. Its low ceiling frequently interrupts volleyball games, while “dead spots” on the floor create problems for the basketball team. The project would lead to a new, larger gymnasium with air-conditioning behind the existing gym, and adapt the existing space for other programs. Addressing concerns that the project might overemphasize athletics, Mr. Nichols said less than 50 percent of the total cost is allocated to the gym.
Sag Harbor has three music programs — chorus, band, and strings — but just two classrooms. The capital project includes plans for a third, along with a recording and streaming studio that would allow students to record auditions for their college applications. During the board meeting Monday, Yavanna Gettling, a parent of a fourth grader, said her son was thrilled about the prospect of a podcast studio at the high school.
Mr. Nichols highlighted one aspect of the project, a new marine biology lab, by saying it would match facilities in Southampton and Westhampton Beach. He called it a “no-brainer.”
Max Rohn, a parent of two daughters in the elementary school and a member of the North Haven Village Board, agreed. “The programs are on point with the future needs of our children and what we have access to, being such a maritime environment,” he said.
Mr. Rohn said he toured the school and was fearful about having his children in some of the outdated spaces the project addresses. “It really looked like a fire hazard to me,” he said. “I would not want to be down there. I think this is urgent.”
The robotics lab is one of those concerning areas. A former closet, it’s a windowless room in the basement. Despite the lab’s limitations, Pierson’s robotics program has sent its graduates to some of the best engineering programs in the country, Mr. Nichols said. Several of those students will be invited to share their experiences at community forums to be scheduled ahead of the vote in January.
The technology and woodshop classroom is also in the basement, lacking a window and exterior door. The proposed renovation would increase its size and capability, as would the current fitness area, another former closet. The new fitness and wellness center would be open to the community outside of school hours.
The bond also includes enhancements like generators and refurbished bathrooms to enable the school to act as a Red Cross shelter. Pierson is the designated Red Cross emergency center for Sag Harbor, East Hampton, Amagansett, and Montauk. Michele Liot, another parent who spoke at the board meeting, suggested emphasizing that aspect of the bond when speaking with taxpayers who may be skeptical.
In total, six parents spoke during the public comment section of the board meeting to discuss the bond — all in support. Jesse Matsuoka, an elementary school parent and co-owner of Sen restaurant, asked if the board might consider offsetting some of the costs by offering naming rights to the gym or soliciting private-sector support. Any such donations would require approval from the village, but school board members said they would welcome them.