Mineola Schools to Receive Promised Grant Funds

Following recent news from the office of New York State , the Mineola School District confirmed that they will be receiving about $150,000 in promised grants.

The news came during the board’s at the , but the district is still waiting to verify whether or not the amount is new money or reimbursement for funds already spent. Some grants require money to be spent first then the district is reimbursed while others pay the money up front.

The grants were originally promised under then- but repealed following his defeat by Martins in the 2010 election. The repeal was cited by the legislature as having to do with spending cuts.

The district has already spent about $150,000 in projects most of which was in last year’s budget.

According to Superintendent Dr. Michael Nagler, the funds could be new money for new work since the district already accounted for the expenditure or the board could put it in the general fund to recoup the money already spent.

“The board can decide to refurbish two more rooms,” Dr. Nagler said, referring to renovations being done at both the and for the fall. “If we’re not in need of that $150,000 we should apply it to more capital work.”

Science rooms at the high school have not been renovated since 1960 and the original science rooms from 1923 still exists in the middle school.

Due to the , seventh and eighth graders require a total of four science rooms, while younger students only require two.

The superintendent also put forth the possibility of using a general science room in a manner “kind of like a computer room would be used,” for fifth and sixth graders.

The board did not immediately make a decision about the funds.