Superintendent outlines solar carports, bus-garage rebuild and flags Beechwood housing PILOT concern
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Summary
Superintendent Dr. Regan told the board Jan. 13 the district will install solar carports to support boiler replacements at RJL, begin bus-garage reconstruction Feb. 2 and is watching a Beechwood housing proposal and a Suffolk County IDA FOIL regarding potential PILOT impacts on the district.
At the Jan. 13 meeting, Superintendent Dr. Regan gave a multi-part operational update that outlined several facility projects and raised a fiscal concern about a nearby housing proposal.
Dr. Regan said the district’s most recent energy performance contract (EPC) installed rooftop solar panels at Fort Salonga, Parkview, William T. Rogers and the high school and supported more efficient boilers at other sites. Because RJL’s roof cannot support panels, the district is pursuing ground-mounted, carport-style solar structures in parking areas at William T. Rogers and between William T. Rogers and RJL. The energy savings from that project are intended to pay for replacement of two high-efficiency steam boilers at RJL. Dr. Regan said the solar project could break ground as early as April 1.
On transportation, Dr. Regan said the district plans to break ground on a replacement for the aging bus garage on Feb. 2; the project is “rather complicated” and expected to take about a year. He said most of the fleet will temporarily relocate to an alternate site, likely the middle school parking area, during construction.
Dr. Regan also described receiving a Freedom of Information Law request from the Suffolk County Industrial Development Agency seeking a school-age child study tied to the proposed Beechwood housing project. He said that raised questions because the IDA is an entity that promotes economic growth through incentives such as tax abatements, and that such a proposal could be considered a payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT). "Pilots are generally not good for school districts because it impacts our tax cap calculation in a negative way," Dr. Regan said, and he said the district will monitor the project closely and seek clarity on the developer’s plans.
Dr. Regan additionally noted district academic results, reporting Kings Park outperformed county and state averages in English language arts and algebra on recently released data. He congratulated high-school staff for College Board AP recognition (silver for college culture, gold for college credit and platinum for college optimization).
Board members asked for continued monitoring of Beechwood and confirmed the district will continue outreach to elected officials regarding potential budget impacts; no formal board action on Beechwood was recorded at the meeting.
The superintendent encouraged the community to consult the district website (Departments → Buildings and Grounds) for construction updates and said the governor’s upcoming budget release will be tracked for possible impacts on district funding.