Food service director Mary Dingrando may be hoping for the weather to break so she can put a barbecue grill into service at Suttons Bay Public Schools.

Over the weekend, Dingrando continued to battle kitchen equipment breakdowns that have plagued her department for weeks. The freezers used for high school food service were inoperable, necessitating extensive repairs. That came on the heels of major equipment failures earlier the month that included problems with the dishwasher, and the “hot box” used to keep items “up to temperature” in the kitchen that serves students in preschool through eighth grades.

In addition, the freezer was out of commission, requiring items to be moved to another location. Dingrando was also without the large steamer she uses to make large quantities of soup that is served to an estimated 250 students as well as staff.

“It’s just been one thing after another,” Superintendent Mike Murray said, joking that he thought Dingrando would welcome the opportunity to use grilling equipment that she could depend on. “Spring is coming. She could use a barbecue.”

More than $4,000 has been spent to make the equipment operable. But the age of the equipment, estimated at more than 20 years, and changes in the approach of school food service has school officials contemplating whether repairs or replacements are the best strategy. Some members of the Board of Education questioned whether the district should start from scratch and replace its two existing kitchens with a central one that includes new equipment.

Kitchen equipment appears on a long list of district needs that could be included in a bond request later this year.

“That would be the way to go, but I don’t feel it’s the right time financially (to go to the public with a proposal),” Murray said.

Replacing the equipment would cost an estimated $40,000, which is not in the budget and cannot be funded through the sinking fund. If grant money falls through it may have to be funded through an extra-voted millage similar to that discussed by the board last month to fund the purchase of new technology throughout the district.

At a discussion earlier this month, it was reported that at estimated $1.6 million is needed to bring the school’s technology up to date.

Murray reported Monday night that the district needs a new bus to transport special education students to and from services in Traverse City.

“We have two buses now. Both have over 150,000 miles and we are alternating with one on the road and the other in the shop getting fixed,” he said.

Unlike general education students, the school district is obliged to provide transportation to special education students.

“If we get one bus past inspection (in 2010-11), we’ll be lucky,” Murray said.

He added that it’s difficult to purchase used special education buses due to the specialized equipment. Murray estimated the cost of purchasing a new bus at between $80,000 and $90,000.

Given the need for new equipment in the classroom, the kitchen and on the road, board members questioned whether it would be better to split up the bond questions or to lump all needs in one proposal for voter consideration.

“I think we’ll have community support with one issue because they know we need these things,” Trustee John Zachman said.

Board President Tom Nixon agreed.

“It’s not the best time (to go to voters) but I don’t think there ever is,” he said. “I’d like to hope that our community has a better idea of what we’re going through and the electorate would see its as we see it.”

The district has until May 25 to act on a proposal to place it on the August Primary ballot, Murray said.