School Board Moves Forward with District Recycling Plan

Nine schools will implement a recycling program this year following the Rochester Board of Education's unanimous approval Monday of a four-year waste removal and recycling contract.

The $78,540 contract with Waste Management includes waste-removal services at 27 school district locations. An additional $7,543 is projected for the first year of the recycling program, which will be tested at nine schools.

The following schools will be part of the pilot program: Adams High School, Stoney Creek High School, Rochester High School, West Middle School, Van Hoosen Middle School, Hart Middle School, North Hill Elementary School, McGregor Elementary School and Delta Kelly Elementary School.

The program would involve the recycling of paper, plastic and aluminum in the schools; the items would be gathered by custodial staff into a single recycling container in each building and later sorted at a recycling facility.

In the future, the district could choose to implement the program in all schools; that would involve the purchase and installation of cement pads for dumpsters at some school sites.

As the recycling program is implemented, it would replace the Abitibi Paper Retriever containers located at some schools.

A committee of students, parents and school leaders . At , a student activist obtained 455 signatures from students and staff at the school in support of the recycling program.

The signatures were presented to Dan Romzek, the district's assistant superintendent for business affairs.

"It was encouraging to see the level of support of this endeavor," Romzek said.

The recycling program has the potential to expand to all buildings in the district. But Romzek and Superintendent Fred Clarke assured board members that there would be further discussion at the board level before any possible expansion. The recycling study committee has said Phase Two, which would truly make the recycling program districtwide, would cost about $100,000.