Grayslake schools consider wind, solar power to cut costs
Energy costs are the latest area where Grayslake Elementary District 46 officials want to make significant cuts.
District 46 isn't alone in trying to hold the line or reduce its electricity tab. School districts based in the Mundelein area, Hanover Park and Carpentersville are among those looking at wind turbines and other ways to slice expenses.
District 46 board members last month approved budget cuts totaling about $2.8 million for the 2009-10 school year. They ran the gamut from personnel to reducing the number of days for nighttime janitorial service, with the board eliminating 29 positions.
In an effort to further trim costs, Superintendent Ellen Correll informed board members this week many companies are available to audit the district's consumption. At the least, she said, the district would improve on energy conservation.
Correll said solar power and wind energy are among the possibilities at District 46, depending on what a professional energy audit finds.
Nearby Fremont Elementary District 79, which serves the Mundelein and Grayslake areas, has Federal Aviation Administration permission to build a wind turbine on its property. Fremont officials project a $7.7 million savings over the turbine's expected 30-year life span, a but a final decision has yet to be made.
Keeneyville Elementary District 20 in Hanover Park and Community Unit District 300 in Carpentersville have each looked at harnessing wind energy for conversion to electricity. Rhodes School in west suburban River Grove last week claimed to be the first in an urban setting to begin using a wind turbine.
Michael Linder, District 46 board president, suggested the district solicit three companies to perform "first-class" energy audits and then offer a contract to the one offering the best price for services.
Linder said the district might even be able to make extra money by renting roof space to a company that's interested in producing solar power.
District 46 already has taken steps toward cutting its energy costs by lowering temperatures to 70 degrees early each evening. That move is projected to save about $9,000.
Officials cite a flat inflation rate that controls how much property tax money District 46 can collect as a primary reason for the cost-cutting moves.