School Spending Accounts ‘Frozen’ By Oil Spill Expenses

By Larissa Lytwyn

The Board of Education unanimously approved an “intent to borrow” resolution on January 18 to fund the necessary costs for the remediation of the recent Reed Intermediate School oil spill.

“We are unclear of the total costs of cleaning up the spill right now,” said Superintendent of Schools Evan Pitkoff. “It is already known that the cost will exceed what is available in our current [education] budget. The bills keep coming in.”

Dr Pitkoff also said that until the precise cost of the damage is determined, all education accounts are being temporarily frozen.

An estimated 4,000 gallons of fuel spilled from the heating oil storage tank at the school and contaminating the soil in the area and nearby Deep Brook on Wednesday, December 29.

The cause was determined to be a mechanical failure in the newly constructed Reed School, which opened its doors in January 2003.

A spill of similar scope occurred at Canaan House at Fairfield Hills in December 2003, when approximately 4,500 gallons of fuel incurred a cleanup cost to the state, the owner of the property at the time, of $1.5 million.

At its January 18 meeting, the school board also approved the half-year 2004-05 budget summary report from July 1 to December 31, 2004.

Out of the current $53,118,457 budget, $24,490,784.13 has been expended through accounts including administrative and faculty salaries, employee benefits, professional educational services, transportation, insurance, and supplies.

Business Director Ron Bienkowski said that with the exception of the “new wrinkle” the December 29 oil spill caused, the school year had been fairly “quiet” so far.

“I am not recommending any transfers at this time,” he said.

In other news, Dr Pitkoff used part of the meeting to report on the Board of Education offices’ imminent move to the Kendro facility at 31 Peck’s Lane.

The school district personnel will join a number of other town agencies in the move, including land use offices, the fire marshal, and the Department of Health as well as Kevin’s Community Center,

The departments are being moved from their current Canaan House location because of climate control problems and health concerns associated with last year’s boiler explosion and subsequent flooding.

“We will officially be moving on Friday, January 28,” said Dr Pitkoff.

He said he was looking forward to moving to the Kendro facility. “Obviously, our new location is in much better condition than Canaan House right now,” he said. “The space will be slightly tighter, but there is no doubt that we will manage.”

The school board also approved an amendment to the 2005-06 school calendar.

Typically, the New Year’s Day holiday is held on the Friday before New Year’s weekend.

Since January 1, 2006, falls on a Sunday, however, the district will close schools on Monday, January 2, in honor of the holiday.

“We did a survey of surrounding districts to determine when they would hold their New Year’s holiday,” said Dr Pitkoff. “We found that about half commemorated New Year’s on the Friday before; others on the Monday after.”

The district ultimately decided to hold the holiday on Monday to be in sync with the Town of Newtown, which will also be commemorating New Year’s 2006 on January 2.