By JEFF LIPTON
By a resounding tally of 334 to 34 on Oct. 30, voters in Island Park approved an allocation of $241,000 through the state's Expanding Our Children's Education and Learning (EXCEL) program, which will be used to refurbish the heating systems at Hegarty School and Lincoln Orens Middle School. The district is combining the EXCEL funding with $3.79 million in reserve funds to replace the outdated boilers in both schools and complete other projects.
EXCEL is a one-shot deal made possible after a court order required the state to provide more building aid to New York City schools to address long-standing inequities in funding. As a result, Long Island legislators made certain that local districts were compensated for shortfalls in state aid as well.
The Oct. 30 vote delighted school officials. "It's something good for the school and good for the kids, for their health and safety," said Island Park Superintendent Dr. Edward Price.
Last year, school officials made nine emergency service calls to restore the heating systems at Hegarty and Lincoln Orens. In addition, officials were forced to evacuate Hegarty students on a frigid day last winter when the heating system broke down. School officials said they do not want a repeat of that system failure.
The more-efficient heating system that will be installed will help the district to save on energy and maintenance costs, officials said.
The state requires voter approval to accept EXCEL aid, and school officials have said that since the proposal had no tax implications for property owners, the approval of the funds was a "no-brainer."
"Getting 91 percent approval, that's overwhelming," Price said. He added that he planned to meet with architects this week to go over design plans for the two buildings. The plans will then be sent to the state Education Department for approval before the project is bid out to a contractor.
School officials said they hope to start work at the Hegarty School next summer, and at the middle school the following summer. Doing the schools done one at a time will leave one free to hold the district's summer recreation program, officials said.
With the EXCEL funding approved by the community, the district will be able to replace and renovate boilers, heating controls and unit vents at a cost of roughly $4 million. The heating project at the Hegarty School will cost $1.86 million, including $420,000 for boiler replacement, $420,000 for digital controls and $840,000 for unit vent replacement. The project at the middle school is slated to cost $2.14 million, including $660,000 for boiler replacement, $400,000 for new pipes and a combined $420,000 to provide air conditioning for the cafeteria and auditorium.
"We would like to thank the public for recognizing the need to do this," said Mike Hastava, Island Park school board trustee, who added that Hegarty is operating with its original boiler. "I'm really, really happy we're going to get to do these jobs."
Hastava said that the project will have no effect on taxes because school officials had the foresight to build up the district's reserve fund. The district will also receive roughly $500,000 in state aid on the project, spread over a 15-year period, and will not have to borrow money for it, which will save about $1.8 million in bond interest, officials said.
Hastava said that district officials were "crossing our fingers and toes" hoping that the two schools can make it through this winter without breakdowns in their heating systems while they wait to begin construction next summer. "We're also crossing our arms and our legs to make sure nothing happens this winter," Hastava said.
Comments about this story? JLipton@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 287.
