by Deb Alter and Alex Brooks
Because of continuing problems with the wood pellet boiler, The Board passed a resolution authorizing the initiation of litigation against Clark Patterson Lee, P.C., David R. Hart, P.E., C.E.A., Larry D. Werts. P.E., Anthony R. Marchetti, P.E., Bioenergy Project Partners, LLC and David Dungate, the State Education Department, and the NYS Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). Further discussion about the lawsuit took place in executive session.[private]
The pellet boiler was first presented to The Board by Superintendent Facin as a less expensive and financially more predictable way to heat the school buildings in September of 2013. The fuel is locally sourced and can be bought in long-term contracts that make the District’s heating costs predictable, avoiding the price spikes that sometimes come with oil heat. The system was expected to provide 80% to 90% of the building’s heat. The installation cost of approximately $500,000 or more would be paid partly by the NYSERDA grant, and partly by lease financing. Installation began in the summer of 2014, but the system had engineering problems that prevented its use during the winter of 2014-15. It went on line in September 2016, but has apparently not worked properly during the past winter.
Thanks to Rick Ferrannini
At its last meeting of the 2015-2016 school and fiscal year, the Board of Education and Superintendent Ken Facin recognized Rick Ferrannini for his dedicated service as a School Board member. It was his last meeting as a member of the Board. Facin thanked him for serving his six years (two terms) on the Board with passion. He said, “[Ferrannini] had the pulse of the whole community, which helped us through a lot of things. You have been amazing, and we thank you.” Board President Greg Laurin echoed the superintendent’s sentiments, and they then presented Ferrannini a plaque honoring him.
Agreement On APPR
The Administration and the Teacher’s Union (HFTA) have come to an agreement on the Annual Professional Performance Review (APPR) for next year, which Patrick Dailey, Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment, will submit to the State Education Department for approval. Facin said that it is a growth model, it will reduce testing, and it puts the District in compliance with State Ed requirements. “We are excited to be moving forward,” he said.
PFOA And Water Issues
As it has been everywhere in Hoosick for the last few weeks,the PFOA blood test results have been a major topic of discussion. In the Superintendent’s report, Facin said that the Department of Health will be coming to the school to talk to the nurses and counseling staff. (They have already met with local physicians and hospitals.) “The worst of our worries have come to fruition,” he said about the blood test results, and he criticized the NY State Department of Health for not providing enough information and counseling to help people understand the test results. He did say, however, that the Department of Environmental Conservation had been working hard on remediation.
Facin said that the District continues to test the school’s water for PFOA on a monthly basis, although the most recent test posted on their website is from March. They also test regularly for many other things, including arsenic and lead, as directed by the Rensselear County Health Department. The water at HFCSD is considered a “public water system” in New York State because it serves more than 300 people. Currently, the water source for HFCSD is from a groundwater well located on campus. The GAC filter that has been installed at the school’s well is not working yet. After missing two deadlines to get it up and running, the State has now given the district an open ended deadline. Facin was obviously frustrated with the delays.
The Town of Hoosick and the Village of Hoosick Falls have been working together to do an engineering feasibility study concerning the possibility of extending the municipal water and sewer lines south on Route 22 to the school. Facin and the Board have been advocating for this, as they believe it will be the best way to insure safe clean water for the students and staff. Earlier in the week, both the Village and Town Boards approved the shared expenditure of $46,000 for the study. According to Facin, he sent music teacher Rob Allen, School Communications Officer Brian Bushner, and some students to join in the rally in Albany on Wednesday June 15 to advocate for the State to come up with the funds for the engineering report, and that both Mayor David Borge and Town Supervisor Mark Surdam supported the plan. He also said that on the morning of the School Board meeting, he had spoken directly to Kate Dineen, NY State Assistant Secretary of the Environment, and that she had promised that the State would indeed provide the funds.
Trip to Italy And Spain
Teachers Jennifer McDonald, Amy Graziane, and Tara Antolick, shared a video and photographs from the “Mediterranean Journey” to Italy and Spain in which 22 students participated. Two students who had been on the trip, Hannah Borge and Kaitlyn Boyd, were there to contribute to the presentation. Borge said that Assisi was her favorite place that they had visited. “It was a real Medieval city, as if it hadn’t changed at all since those times,” she said, “and we learned things that you could never learn from a textbook.” Boyd said that she discovered that “the world is so small and everyone speaks English!”
In addition to learning about history and culture, “they learned good life lessons about travel and getting around,” McDonald said. She presented the trip that they would like to start planning for 2018, “The Central Europe Quartet,” which will include Germany, Austria, Hungary, and the Czech Republic. She said that it would dovetail perfectly with what the kids will be studying in tenth and eleventh grade social studies. The teachers will be reaching out to Cambridge and possibly Greenwich to see if they want to partner on the trip.
Other Matters
Facin reported that the most recent Superintendent’s Conference Day of Professional Development for the teachers in May was a wonderful day at Lake George. Teachers and staff continued their training in social-emotional education and yoga in the classroom. He said that the term “mindfulness” had been co-opted by big companies and was becoming a multi-million dollar industry, so the District will no longer be using that label. He said Pearson, the educational testing company, is already developing ways to test student progress in mindfulness, which misses the point by a wide margin.
Aided and abetted by Facin, the senior class prank was fun for everyone and respectful at the same time. The pranks included a maze of water-filled cups on the main walk to the High School’s front door, and balloons lining the hallways. The students had everything cleaned up by homeroom. A couple of days later, they covered the big main entry windows with post-it notes spelling out “Class of 2016” using different colors, each one bearing the name of a graduating senior.
On the last day of classes, students, led by the Pep Band, paraded through the school (including the elementary school) wearing their caps and gowns. Facin said that the parade was a way for all of the kids at HFCS to give our seniors a send-off on their last day, and a powerful and inspirational experience for the younger students.
The District is working with the Sage Colleges and the Rennselaer County Chamber of Commerce to develop lessons that will help students develop skills that are needed for success in business.
Board Member John Helft thanked the school and the students and teachers who participated in the “Panther Pit,” a business development competition based on ABC-TV’s “Shark Tank.” It was a huge success and the students’ presentations were very impressive. He said that the day after the event, a real company introduced a very similar product to the one that had won the student competition.
The Board of Education will hold its reorganization meeting on Thursday, July 7 at 6 pm in the High School Cafeteria.[/private]