HEBRON — The School Administrative District 17 board of directors has accepted a $143,213 bid that will allow the Harrison Elementary School’s oil-fired burner to be converted to a propane gas-fired system.

The unanimous vote Monday night accepted the offer of Specialty Services Inc. of Livermore. Siemens submitted the other bid — $161,738.

Both companies have done work for the school district.

Barry Patrie of the district’s Operations Committee told the board the underground tanks that serve the school’s boiler system, including one that needs repairs, will be removed. One of the boilers is a former coal unit that was converted to oil when the system became obsolete.

Financing for the project will be under a 10-year lease-purchase agreement. Money has been set aside, but the school board must still approve the financing package.

In other matters, Business Director Cathy Coffey provided the board with information showing that of the $40 million school budget, about $1.2 million has been carried over to the fund balance account.

The account was at $1,607,886 on July 1, 2017. Revenue during the fiscal year — from July 1, 2017, through June 30, 2018 — was $39,095,458. Expenses totaled $39,355,041, leaving the fund balance at $1,348,303 as of June 30.

Grants accounted for a large amount of the school district’s revenue, including $254,446 in federal funds that serve students at the Hebron Station and Otisfield Elementary schools. A total of $148,800 remained in those accounts as of June 30, the end of the fiscal year, Coffey said.

Money received from IDEA (Individuals With Disabilities Act) federal grant money, which primarily funded 29 special education tech positions in the district, was almost $1 million. A total of $104,000 remained in the account June 30.

The food services account started with $330,854 and ended with $388,667. It is one of a handful of food service departments at Maine’s public schools that is self-sustaining, Coffey  said.

An accounting firm has completed the audit of the school budget for fiscal 2018, the results of which will be presented next month to the Finance Committee.

In other news. Superintendent Rick Colpitts said the school district’s communication system will be down Friday, Oct. 5, while power is shut off so work can be done on the Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School generator. This affects the entire district because its phone lines and internet service are based at the high school,

“If you try to call us Friday, you will reach no one,” Colpitts said.

Friday is a professional day for faculty and staff, and a day off for students.

The board approved hiring a part-time physical education teacher for the Middle School’s South Campus. The need was discovered after scheduling was completed under the new semester system.

The board also agreed to hire a special education ed tech at the Oxford Elementary School because of increased student needs.

Monday night’s school board meeting was at Hebron Station School. The board typically holds meetings several times a year at district schools.

ldixon@sunmediagroup.net

Directors Judy Green of Waterford and Jared Cash of Norway discuss the School Administrative District 17 budget audit at Monday night’s meeting in Hebron. (Leslie H. Dixon/Advertiser Democrat)