Superintendent commits to preserving sledding at Klager
As solar panels were installed on the traditional sledding hill at Klager Elementary last week, it caused a stir in the community.
On Tuesday, November 5, many parents and staff were surprised and dismayed to see solar panels being installed on the Klager Elementary School “sledding hill.”
In 2001-2002, when the school building was renovated and a new bus-only drive created on the north side of the school building, care was taken in the design phase to preserve the majority of the hill, which has been used by generations of community kids for great winter sledding for nearly 50 years.
“It was a community spot that just ended for so many,” said one parent, who added that they were “devastated” to see the panels going up last week.
The apparently sudden decision was, in reality, part of an energy-saving initiative begun two years ago when Brad Hamilton served as interim superintendent for the district.
In a letter sent out to parents Tuesday afternoon, current superintendent Nick Steinmetz stated that district spending on instruction, pupil support services, and instruction staff support services has increased 3.28% since the 2016-2017 school year, as a result of reinvesting cost savings from the energy initiative.
“That directly correlates to a reduction in operations and maintenance line items in our budget,” he said in a statement to the Mirror. He added that November’s board of education meeting will have on its agenda the approval of budget amendments. “All aspects of the energy project (including new lighting and the artificial turf field at the athletic complex) have contributed to the overall savings,” he continued. “When we receive our first audit, once the solar panel project is completed, we will do a presentation at a board meeting to the public.”
Steinmetz said that although there is not yet an estimate on the exact savings the solar panels might generate, the district has been able to lock in a kWh rate that is 33% less than what it is currently paying. Additionally, the solar panels were installed at no cost to the district, so there is no investment to recoup–it is all savings.
Asked if other placement options for the solar panels had been considered, Steinmetz said, “All of the arrays were placed to optimize their output. As for who approved the solar panels’ placements, I do not know. That was done prior to my arrival in the district.”
Steinmetz concluded by saying, “With the placement of the panels, the west end of Klager hill should still be able to be utilized for sledding. The solar panels will be fenced off, and I will be working with the maintenance team to see how we can bank snow to provide sledding on the grounds.”
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