The 4 Property Owners Associations of the Village of Garden City are hosting a discussion by the Village of Garden City School Board of Trustees and Administration regarding the proposed Bond Referendum. The meeting will be held on September 29, 2009 at 8:00 p.m. in the High School Auditorium.

The Garden City Board of Education voted unanimously to hold a public referendum on Tuesday, October 27, 2009 for the purpose of obtaining public approval to issue a bond to cover $36.5 million in renovations to meet basic safety and code requirements, as well as reclaim learning space for academic program growth. The school investment bond calls for recovering learning space and decreasing instruction-time interruptions by reconfiguring areas within several of the schools.

The Village wide Referendum is scheduled to be held on Tuesday, October 27, from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. at Garden City High School, 170 Rockaway Ave. Additional voting information can be obtained on the School Board's website at www.gardencity.k12.ny.us/

The School Board created a Facilities Committee - a 12-person decision-making body that included nominees from all Garden City Property Owner Associations as well as PTA and SEPTA members - to help it develop the referendum proposal and presented it to the Board earlier this year. The committee reviewed architect and engineer reports, held numerous meetings with School Administration and the Board and toured the buildings before recommending the final list of projects.

The meeting is expected to be conducted in a "Town Hall" format. There will be presentations and residents will be encouraged to ask questions.

Each of the four sections of the Village - East, Central, Estates and West - has its own Property Owners' Association to represent it at the neighborhood level and in Village government. Membership in the Property Owners' Association is open to residents of the respective sections. Participation in local government - for example - election to the Board of Trustees or appointment to the various boards and commissions - usually starts with volunteer involvement in the Property Owners' Associations. The opinions and positions of the associations are instrumental in forming Village government policy.

The 4 POA groups strongly urge residents to attend the September 29th meeting and the other proposed meetings being held during the next few weeks to discuss the Bond Referendum.