SCHOHARIE - Visitors to Schoharie school are greeted to the future of lawn care.

Before visitors enter any school door, they are usually greeted by one of the district's robotic lawn mowers. Since the summer, the district has used robotic lawn mowers to maintain their grass lawns. Schoharie has six Segway Navimow lawn mowers. Each unit costs $5,499, according to SCS Superintendent David Blanchard. Each mower is a commercial mower designed to mow three acres. The district had used any available staff to mow the lawn. However, maintenance mechanics and bus mechanics were tasked with mowing, he explained. Cliff Haslin retired as a bus mechanic in June and he was the primary person tasked with mowing. The district previously cut one maintenance mechanic. 

"We have struggled for years keeping up with mowing since Jeremy Karker was moved from working as a groundsman to becoming a maintenance mechanic," Mr. Blanchard added. "We continue to have difficulty finding staff to work as bus drivers, custodians, hall monitors, and food service workers. The solution we found has proven to be very cost effective and as well as highly effective." The district is fortunate to have them, he added. There is a significant financial savings and the "grounds look better." The district is saving on diesel costs for the tractors.

"It's a no brainer," Mr. Blanchard said.

He said that when officials from other districts see the robotic mowers they ask how they can get one.

The robotic mowers do not take a break and the mowers have a three-year warrantee, Mr. Blanchard said.