WV School Board swears in members for 2017-18

By Abby Wolf
WARWICK — The Warwick Valley School Board swore in its members for the 2017–18 school year at the board’s annual organizational meeting on Monday night.
Incumbent board members Bob Howe and Dory Masefield and newcomer John Garcia, will serve a term that runs through 2020.
Also taking their oaths of office were school board president Lynn Lillian and vice president Sharon Davis; Superintendent of Schools, Dr. David Leach; as well as this year’s student representative to the board, Annamaria Costa.
School lunchThe board released its income eligibility guidelines for students who qualify for Reduced Price Meals/Free Milk, and announced its renewal of participation in the National School Lunch Program for elementary schools for the 2017-18 school year.
Lunch prices for the upcoming school year:
Elementary School
• Lunch: $2.50
• Breakfast: $1.25
• Reduced: $0.25
Middle School
• Lunch: a la carte
• Breakfast: a la carte
• Reduced: $0.25
High School
• Lunch: a la carte
• Breakfast: a la carte
• Reduced: $0.25
Other businessThe BOE approved its personnel and CSE agendas; it also ratified its revised Audit Committee charter, as well as assenting to the appointment of Allen Hauser to the Audit Committee.
The Future Farmers of America (FFA) were given the go-ahead for their field trip on July 20, 2017.
The board also nominated John T. Redman of the Florida School District Board of Education to Area 9 Director of NYSSBA.
Solar at Sanfordville WVSD kicked off its solar project at a groundbreaking at Sanfordville Elementary School on Wednesday. According to a statement by Superintendent Dr. David Leach, the 2.419 MW solar-powered array will “generate approximately 2,919,000 kWh of electricity annually, and produce enough electricity to offset the district’s entire electricity bill through monetary credits.”
Further, Leach continued, this “historic” project – the largest one owned by a school district in New York – “will not only provide significant savings to the district but will also reduce our carbon footprint.”
The solar project is part of an Energy Performance Contract (EPC), approved and made possible by aid from New York State, and will qualify for grants from New York State Energy Research & Development Authority.
Under terms of the EPC, the solar project must pay for itself within 18 years.
Farmworker summer schoolThe WVSD will host the Farmworker Summer School at the old Pine Island Elementary School this summer for 40 Warwick children, and some 50 children from the neighboring districts of Florida, Minisink and Goshen.
The seven-week summer program will provide daily recreation for the children, as well as educational programming; programming for parents regarding child welfare and education; a midday meal for all children in the program.
The district will seek funding for the program via the Alamo Community Center’s parent organization, HRHCare, Inc. – a network of Federally funded community health centers.
‘Greenest’ school district 2017Dirt Magazine (a sister publication to The Warwick Advertiser) recognized the WVSD as the “greenest school district” overall in the region. Special mention was made of Park Avenue and Sanfordville Elementary Schools, as well as the middle school.
Next: Regular meeting Aug. 7, 7 p.m., at the Dorothy C. Wilson Education Center
Special meeting and work session Aug. 21, 7 p.m., at the Dorothy C. Wilson Education Center