The Springs Youth Association building and a new cafeteria program will appear on a special ballot in the Springs School District in December.
At its meeting Tuesday night, the school board unanimously approved a Dec. 8 vote on the two propositions. The first would enable the district to purchase the S.Y.A. building at the edge of the campus from the Town of East Hampton for $800,000. The second would enable the district to establish a new capital reserve fund for future improvements, including a kitchen for cooking student meals. Neither proposition would increase taxes.
The S.Y.A. building, just off Old Stone Highway, has been part of a unique arrangement between the school district and the town for the last 20 years. In 2006, the two agreed that the district would lease part of its land to the town for $1 per year. In exchange, the town would build the S.Y.A. building. Today, the district leases that building from the town for $20,000 annually to house its prekindergarten program. This year, the town offered to sell the building and all other improvements on the leased land — including the outdoor handball courts, three tennis/pickleball courts, and a basketball court — to the district. If voters approve the purchase, the district will use money left over from the 2025-26 school budget to cover the cost.
“We own the property, but we don’t own the building and this is a way to both put the vote into the hands of the people so they can make a decision on that and for us to gain control of a building that can better serve our students and the community,” said Erik Fredrickson, the board president.
With ownership of the building, the district would be able to make improvements to its pre-K program and potentially use the space for other educational needs in the future.
“We’re very passionate about creating learning environments that are really exciting for kids, that are safe for kids, and that are optimal for kids to learn. We would love, going forward, to have control over the building so that we’re able to do even simple things like painting,” said Nancy Carney, the superintendent. “We’re very thankful to the town for working with us and negotiating with us on a really fair price to purchase the building. We appreciate that. We’ve been talking about it for a long time and the town has really come through for us. So we’re thankful for that and we’re excited to bring it to the community for their input and to see what the voters think.”
When the Springs School District first thought about purchasing the S.Y.A. building, there was talk of converting it into a regional center for East End students with special needs. That’s still a possibility.
“If we end up bringing our pre-K students, depending on enrollment, into the main building, that is definitely something that we’d look to do,” Ms. Carney said. “We do have kids with special needs that have to travel all the way to Westhampton and even farther for services. There’s a great need to have something closer and regional, and it would be a perfect spot for it.”
The second proposition would allow Springs School to develop its own cafeteria program by adding a kitchen capable of producing hot meals. Without a kitchen and with limited refrigeration space, the school is currently unable to participate in the National School Lunch Program, which gives districts funding to feed students breakfast and lunch daily, regardless of their ability to pay.
“We know that there is a free-lunches-for-all program in the state, but logistically we can’t support that and we certainly can’t optimize that,” said Mr. Fredrickson.
Right now, Springs offers students in need of meals a limited number of cold sandwiches bought from the East Hampton School District. The nurse’s office also stocks granola bars and snacks. Ms. Carney says it’s time to do better.
“We do have students in need. There’s no question. Providing kids with breakfast and lunch is something they deserve in today’s world, and it’s something we’re really passionate about bringing forward.”
To pay for the kitchen, the district is asking voters to approve the creation of a new 2026 capital reserve that would be funded in three ways — with remaining money from a capital reserve established in 2014, with $500,000 from the repair reserve fund, and with excess funds available at the end of fiscal years.
Information about the two propositions is available on the Springs School website. The district will also host several community forums to discuss the propositions. The first will take place Wednesday at 5 p.m. in the Springs School library.