Thank you for taking the time to weigh in on this important matter to the Hastings community. We wanted to send an update to everyone and provide some info below regarding how you can contact the BOE to voice your opinion further. 

UPDATE: On Wednesday, April 8, the Hastings Board of Education (BOE) voted to accept a bid for installation of the two artificial turf fields at the Burke Estate (approved in the 2025 bond vote). Information about the selected turf product was shared with the community on the morning of the BOE vote (April 8) and included information about testing for PFAS (‘forever chemicals’) conducted by the selected company. The report shows more than 10 different types of PFAS were found in the samples and states that “Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) was detected in every sample.” Click here: Board docs to see the full report provided by the BOE (testing results start on page 59 of the PDF). 

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 2024 report (EPA on PFAs), “available evidence indicates that PFOA exposure is likely to cause hepatic, immunological, cardiovascular, and developmental effects in humans” and “PFOA is Likely to Be Carcinogenic to Humans via the oral route of exposure.”

Last spring in the lead up to the bond vote, the BOE assured the Hastings community that the turf installed at Burke would be “free of lead and PFAS” in written communications (BOE communication, see page 7) at community forums. Despite these promises, the product that has been selected contains PFAS which are a threat to the health and safety of our Hastings students, athletes, the community and our environment. 

If you would like to contact the BOE to ask questions or voice concern, please see email addresses for the BOE and Superintendent Dr. Mckersie below. 

Alexander Dal Piaz (president): dalpiaza@hohschools.org
Jodie Meyer (vice president): meyerj@hohschools.org
David Barone: baroned@hohschools.org
Catherine DiMartino: dimartinoc@hohschools.org
Theresa McCaffrey: mccaffreyt@hohschools.org
Maureen Lennon-Santana: lennonsantanam@hohschools.org
David Weinstein: weinsteind@hohschools.org
Dr. Mckersie (Superintendent of Schools): MckersieW@hohschools.org