WACO votes to move ahead with solar energy

By BROOKS TAYLOR

Mt. Pleasant News

CRAWFORDSVILLE ? Supt. Dr. Darrell Smith, in parting remarks, urged the WACO School Board to be creative and not to be afraid to step outside of the box.

?Take some chances, be creative,? Smith said. ?As long as you?re trying, you?re doing okay.?

Monday night?s regular meeting of the board at the Crawfordsville Elementary School was Smith?s final one with the district. Smith, who is retiring (again), first retired in 2008 after serving as WACO superintendent for six years. However, during his first retirement, he served as an interim superintendent at three districts, the last being WACO for the past 2.25 years.

Smith, who lives in the district, said this retirement is his final one.

Directors heeded Smith?s advice, approving the lease/purchase option of a new solar energy system for the junior-senior high school. By purchasing the system now, directors were putting the cart in front of the horse. That?s because the district does not have the funds to pay for the system but hopes to put the dollars behind the purchase during a physical plant and equipment levy (PPEL) on Sept. 8.

?This is a little bit of risk-taking,? Smith noted, ?but doable?You are really going to have to sell this so the PPEL passes.?

Solar power already has been implemented at the elementary school and partially at the junior-senior high school. When the system is fully implemented, school officials said it sill provide 90 percent of district energy needs. By going totally solar, WACO will be one of the first school districts in the state to rely primarily on solar energy.

Currently, the district spends $120,000 annually on energy and projects a total energy savings of $1.46 million over 25 years at current energy costs.

Waco Solar LLC of Cedar Falls received the bid for the solar system. The school district will pay $4,667 in monthly payments for six years and after that time, will be able to purchase the system for $514,000. That translates into a total cost of $850,000 for the system.

?There are a lot of school districts (in the state) interested in this,? Smith said, noting that over 100 school districts have requested solar power information from the Iowa Department of Education. ?We will be one of the first districts in the state to do this, so hopefully it will help other districts.?

The elementary school at Crawfordsville has been operating with solar power since March. The power is delivered by 250 solar panels; the junior-senior high school building will be powered by 1,320 panels.

To help finance the solar energy system purchase, the district will be asking patrons to approve a $1.34 per $1,000 taxable valuation physical plant and equipment levy (PPEL) during the Sept. 8 school board election. The solar system payments, however, will be paid for from school local option sales tax funds. If the PPEL passes, the district plans to shift some expenses now paid for by school local option tax to the PPEL account. The measure needs a simple majority (50 percent plus one) for passage.

The school board can levy up to 33 cents per $1,000 taxable valuation through a board-approved PPEL. However, for amounts above 33 cents, the district must receive voter approval. Although the board could levy up to $1.34 for 10 years if the PPEL levy is approved by voters, it can levy any amount not to exceed $1.34.

Smith told the board that even if they levy the full $1.34, district property taxes will not increase. That?s because the debt-service levy will decrease from $3.11 per $1,000 taxable valuation to $2.33 next year and the management levy also will be reduced to account for a $1.38 per $1,000 valuation savings in the total levy. In 2018, the general obligation bonds to build the junior-senior high school will be paid, reducing the debt-service levy to zero.

The superintendent noted that Tim Graber, board president, has put a lot of work in the solar power conversion movement. ?It was his (Graber?s) idea.?

Graber said he is ?very, very excited? about the conversion to solar power and noted ?some community members have stepped up and put a lot of work into this.?

Directors approved a two-year contract with the WACO Education Support Association. The support association includes all non-certified staff, such as bus drivers, custodians, hot-lunch personnel para-educators, etc. Support staff will receive a five-percent total package increase each year.

?This is the way to go,? Smith noted, referring to the two-year contract. ?It went well, was quick and simple.?

School administrators will realize a four-percent total package increase in 2015-16 following board approval.

Personnel matters saw the following contracts approved: Mark Beerends, secondary SPED strategist I; Francis Whitten, secondary business; Sarah Peters, secondary part-time art; Brian Gravel, secondary SPED strategist II, junior high assistant football and junior high boys? basketball; Elizabeth Levai-Baird, elementary SPED strategist II; Jamie Provino, secondary evening custodian; Laury Harwood, elementary part-time custodian; Millie Youngquist, musical accompanist; and Amy Langr, contract increase of .2 FTE for elementary Talented and Gifted.

Katie Stehn?s resignation from her elementary SPED strategist position was accepted.

Board members also approved district APR goals and the purchase of human anatomy and physiology textbooks. The 25 textbooks and related workbooks/materials will cost $4,359.69.

Board members will meet again in regular session Monday, July 20, at 6:30 p.m. in the junior-senior high school media center.