On May 4, Thomas Shaw, the director of facilities and operations for the Hicksville School District, wrote a letter to Central Hudson Enterprise Corporation, the company the district contracted with to install and maintain the co-generation equipment in the middle school and high school. In this letter Mr. Shaw expressed his concern for the safety of the students and staff regarding the ventilation system in the high school boiler room, as follows: "It is my understanding that each fan/duct provides 3,200 CFM. Will this added air pressure (with no mechanical exhaust) place the boiler room under positive pressure and blow fumes into the upstairs corridors?"

At the board of education meeting of July 28, the board president, Nancy Callari, was questioned as to the status of the situation and if it would be corrected before school opens to ensure the safety of the children and staff.

Her only reply was, "It is being taken care of." When questioned further, her reply was, "It is being taken care of." As a parent of a student attending the high school, I would like to know how it is being taken care of. Mrs. Callari's answer was non-responsive and uninformative. The safety concerns of the district and parents must be addressed in an appropriate manner. What does "it is being taken care of" mean? It is the board's responsibility to address the safety concerns of parents without avoiding responsibility. They must be held accountable and answer questions regarding safety in a clear and precise way, leaving no further questions as to the safety of the students and staff.

Carole A. Lawson