Board hears proposals for bus-feasibility study, solar canopy pilot, internships and equity trip funding in next budget cycle

The Valley Central board reviewed multiple proposals Dec. 8 for inclusion in next year’s budget planning, asking administration to research costs and feasibility for several initiatives.

Key items discussed included: (1) a feasibility study to assess whether operating an in-house transportation fleet could be cost effective versus contracting, with some board members supporting research while administration noted a forthcoming five-year RFP and cautioned about timing; (2) piloting solar canopies (parking-lot arrays) at one school to evaluate energy generation and incentives, with members linking the idea to prior NYSERDA interest; (3) expanding work-based learning and internship placements at the high school, including identifying insurance and placement barriers; and (4) a recurring district-funded field trip for every third grader to a museum or aquarium to standardize opportunities across schools.

Board members also proposed investigating whether a partial or phased rollout of Yonder cell-phone pouches at the high school would be useful; administration cited prior figures estimating ~$72,000 for pouches across grades 6–12 and noted staffing and ongoing replacement costs as significant considerations.

Administration said it will return with cost estimates, vendor or district-comparison data for the bus-feasibility work and more detail from NYSERDA about incentives and pilot parameters for solar options; budget presentations and more detailed requests are expected in February.

Next steps: Administration to research and present estimated costs, vendor options and how items would fit in the 2026–27 budget and to share findings at subsequent board budget workshops.