Our first meeting in April started off with Representative Lynn Dickinson giving us a legislative update. She talked about a number of things, but the bill that will probably have the most effect on us this year is S.40, a bill which will require that every school and childcare facility in the state test all of their faucets for lead, and fix them if they fail to meet the required level. In this case, the required level is < 3 ppb (parts per billion). This is a fairly strict limit, as current state and federal guidelines call for lead levels < 15 ppb.
The plan is that the state will pay for all of the tests, but they will contribute only a fixed amount of money for any required repairs. So, x dollars for a faucet, y dollars for a water fountain, etc… We won’t know for sure what those dollar amounts are until the bill is passed in its final form. All of these tests and repairs will have to be done this year.
Some good news for Maple Run - the state conducted a pilot program for this lead testing near the end of 2018, involving 16 schools, and SACS took part in it. They had one faucet that was original from the 1960s and had to be replaced. All other water sources were < 3 ppb, and the vast majority were less than 1 ppb. So we have one school done already!
In my opinion, this is a good idea. We don’t want our children exposed to lead. It’s just too bad that it’s another unfunded mandate, and worse, has to be paid for out of a school budget that did not anticipate having this expense.
New Collins Perley Manager
David Kimel, the current Manager of Collins Perley is retiring at the end of this school year, so CPSC needs a new Manager. Collins Perley has its own Board, and they are responsible for recommending a person to Maple Run to fill that position. They interviewed 4 candidates and decided that the best person for the future of Collins Perley is Tim Viens, the current CPSC Assistant Manager. The Maple Run Board accepted the recommendation of the Collins Perley Board and hired Tim as the new Manager.
I certainly hope that Dave will enjoy his retirement, but he will be missed. I can’t count the number of times that someone has given a report at a Board meeting and it included the statement “Thanks so much to David Kimel for all his help.” I guess now it’s my turn - thanks, Dave, for all your hard work and dedication. It’s appreciated.
New Maple Run Newsletter
The Maple Run newsletter has a new look and lots of great content! Check out the April issue at Maple Run Newsletter - April 2019.
Final Word
Superintendent Kevin Dirth suggested that we create a new Maple Run School Board award - the Champion for Children Award. As he pointed out, we are very fortunate to have so many community members volunteer in our schools in all kind of ways. Kevin said, “I would like to suggest that these Unsung Heroes get some kind of recognition.”
I think this is a great idea, and the Board was supportive as well, so I am pretty sure we’ll see this implemented in some way this year. In the meantime, to all you volunteers, Thank You!
Jeff Morrill
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