FARMINGTON – Installation of wood pellet boilers in two SAD 9 elementary schools has been delayed until February or later.

The boilers destined for Academy Hill School in Wilton and Cape Cod Hill School in New Sharon are no longer available in the U.S. because the company that provided the bid quotes was bought out by another Scandinavian company, David Leavitt, director of support services, recently told SAD 9 directors. Installation had been planned for this fall.

Two boilers may be purchased from a company in Ontario, but for $102,000 more than the original quote, Leavitt said.

A $444,802 bond had been secured for the project, with the first payment of $44,541 due in September 2009, Pottle said.

After discussing options, directors voted to use savings from the Weld School closure to finance a portion of the higher cost for boilers.

Business Manager Kris Pottle suggested two options to cover the $546,726 to purchase and install the boilers: Enter a lease/purchase agreement or use part of the savings from the Weld School closure.

Not realizing that the first payment on the bond is due 12 months from signing, the district budgeted the amount for this year. The board agreed to use that first payment amount and $57,383 from the estimated $95,000 unexpended balance in the Weld School budget rather than the second option of a lease/purchasing agreement, Ray Glass, chairman of the board, said Wednesday.

Despite the higher cost, expectations from the new system include savings of about half the price of oil, Leavitt told the board. The technology of the system is better and either pellets or chips can be burned, providing more options for fuel supply and cost, he added.

The school’s oil furnaces will remain as backup, Glass said.