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Carmel board outlines lead testing, repairs, child‑safety zones and added SROs in budget discussion
Summary
Administration told trustees it has contracted BOCES and Langan Engineering for lead/water testing to meet a new 5 ppb standard and proposed several capital repairs funded from reserves; transportation proposals include extra bus monitors and leveraging child‑safety zone aid, and the safety plan would add two SROs.
The district presented multiple facility, health and safety items that are included in the draft 2025–26 budget.
Lead and water testing: administration said the board approved a BOCES contract with Langan Engineering to test incoming building water and all fixtures to meet the newer remediation threshold of 5 parts per billion (down from 15 ppb). Testing will avoid sampling ‘slop sinks’ and janitorial-only fixtures and requires buildings to be vacant for certain remediation activities. Asbestos testing and remediation (floor tiles at the high school) are also budgeted.
Capital repair funding: Administrators noted a capital reserve appropriation of $850,000 for next year’s projects (gym heating, boiler work, high‑school entrance/stair repairs, smoke stack replacement). Silver said those projects are identified and will go through architects and the State Education Department for aid where applicable.
Transportation and safety: the budget adds bus monitors to address behavioral challenges on middle‑school runs and counts on expected approval of child safety zones to secure roughly $500,000 in additional state aid — which would allow more flexible bussing distances. The draft also shifts some large‑bus lease purchases (reduced from 12 to 6) and keeps funds for smaller bus purchases and vehicle replacements. For security, the district proposed adding one SRO at the middle school and one at the high school (raising the total SRO/SPO staffing across buildings), and discussed an on‑site law enforcement/service academy concept that could be run through BOCES if other districts join the cooperative.
Trustees asked for itemized cost splits by building for SRO/SPO costs and for more precise remediation estimates once testing results are available. Administration said many remediation costs remain unknown until tests are complete and pledged to share more detailed estimates when available.
