Island Trees Board Weighs in on Natural Gas, Changes to School Lunch

With the 2011-12 school year coming to a close, the Island Trees Board of Education is squaring away important matters for the upcoming term.

At Tuesday evening's work session, Director of Plant and Facilities Lou Dipadova presented statistics on a natural gas plan that the district discussed earlier this year with Richard Locke of Hess Corporation and Mark Infranco of Long Island Power Authority (LIPA).

"Our boilers are oil turning boilers but they have the ability to use gas," said Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Charles Murphy. "The prices for the use of natural gas is much more cost effective than oil. We're looking at proposals to convert. The furnaces work on both but we need to do a bit of conversion with piping and hook ups to the building at they cost a bit of money."

Infranco told the board that if implemented, Hess Corporation would finance the project, an estimated cost of $378,000, on a three or five year installment plan. Even while paying off the debt, the district will still see $177,000 annual savings with a three year plan or $227,000 annual savings in a five year deal. If the district decides to move forward with the project, they are hoping to get the ball rolling by fall.

Director of Food Services Peggy McElhinney and Assistant Superintendent for Business Susan Hlavenka also spoke to the board on a mandatory increase in school lunch costs. Under the Hunger Free Kids Act, school lunches districtwide are required to average out to $2.51. Right now, the average price weighs out to $1.51.

"We are about the lowest on most of Long Island, including some very low income districts," said Hlavenka. "Ultimately, we have to go up a minimum of 10 cents. We'll have to do this every year to eventually get in line with that $2.51 mark, which could go up, but the absolute minimum we need to increase is 10 cents."

In other news, the board discussed a proposal by Assistant Superintendent for Special Education Dr. Arlene Sage on the addition of a school psychologist in order to eliminate a behavioral consultant position in a selection of elementary special education classes at both Michael F. Stokes and J. Fred Sparke. This would happen while increasing the district's psychological department at no extra cost to the budget, according to Sage.

Board members argued that the district's instructors should be growing stronger in working with developmentally challenged students, where a consultant or psychologist is no longer necessary.

"They have become more skilled, but some of the youngsters have become more challenging in the behaviors that they're exhibiting," Sage said.

Board members agreed unanimously the addition of a psychologist would make more sense for the upcoming school year, but the cost must be re-evaluated again for next year's budget.

The board will reconvene Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. for their general meeting at the Stephen Karopczyc School.

What do you think of the plan to convert from oil to natural gas at Island Trees schools? Tell us in the comments below.