The Northern Valley Regional High School district is still awaiting funding sources for the latest study that was proposed to determine if there is a problem at the St. Anthony’s school in Northvale.
The district was hoping it would receive help from Northvale and the Archdiocese of Newark, owner of the building, to fund a study proposed by a specialist in pediatric neurodevelopment, Dr. Walter Zahorodny.
At a projected cost of $50,000, Zahorodny wants to widen the scope of a previous study conducted regarding the site by doing another survey with 70 to 80 percent participation of past employees.
A study performed over the summer by Dr. Lawrence Rosen, of the Deirdre Imus Environmental Center, revealed that 57 percent of children by 24 former teachers were diagnosed with some form of neurological disorder including autism.
Northvale officials, however, decided the borough would not contribute to funding the study since it is "not a piece of property the borough owns," Mayor John Hogan said.
"It is not taxable property. Our own environmental engineer… [showed] there was no way our two environmentally challenged sites would have anything to do with this. Because of the distance and the type of contaminants," he said.
However, Hogan wants to secure funding for the study somehow because he "honestly believe[s] the study should be done." He said he will bring up the issue at a meeting March 11 with the borough’s grant writer, whom he said has access to federal and state funds.
"He’s got quite a bit of contacts. If he says it’s feasible to apply for grants we will bring it back to the council and say here’s our involvement, get the three parties involved and apply for a grant."
Hogan is also considering approaching the Imus foundation for funding but said he had not yet approached the Archdiocese or district for their permission to pursue that avenue.
"I would go both ways. If a source of funding fell in my lap today I would go with it as long as it was legal. I am looking for any possible funding," said Hogan.
As of press time the Archdiocese still had not given its response as to whether or not it would fund the study.
Northern Valley Superintendent Jan Furman said should there be a funding shortfall, the district would have to "look carefully at if we would support that study or not."
She said the board could examine funding it with "contingency money" leftover from past years’ special education tuitions. However, she said the insurance will not fund further testing since "nothing has shown up in tests so far."
In the meantime, she said the district and parents are happy with the locations in Harrington Park and Norwood where the children are currently being accommodated.
"Our Lady of Victory School in Harrington Park has added some classrooms so the preschool program will be back together again like they were in Northvale. We are feeling good about the facilities where the children are."
