The Triad School District is looking into getting solar panels for its schools.
At the Triad board of education meeting Thursday night, Superintendent Chris Piper said the district is “starting to explore the possibility” of adding a solar ray for the schools. However, he said this is in its early development stages, where the district is “starting the conversation.”
“We had a proposal to put in a solar ray to help reduce energy costs, but we don’t know how those numbers look right now, so we’re not sure if it’ll actually be a cost saver for the district,” Piper said. “If it’s a cost saver for the district, it’ll be something we consider.”
Pioneer Electric Cooperative, which supplies the district with electricity, and is working with the district to see if the solar panels would cut costs. The district is also working with Solar Power and Light, which would be providing the solar panels.
He said the district is factoring in cost savings, upfront costs and electrical costs with its decision.
He said it’s so early into the plan where he wouldn’t know where the panels would be located. He said, while he waits for Pioneer to give him back the projected costs and savings numbers, the time where it will be discussed again will be announced at a future date.
Also at the meeting, Piper said the schools did not perform a “walk out” during National School Walkout day this week.
Instead, the high school hosted an assembly addressing school safety and a moment of silence for the victims of the Parkland school shooting.
“They followed that with a school safety drill, and according to our teachers and high school principal, it was one of our best drills because everyone took it very seriously,” Piper said. “It was a good day and a positive outcome for our school and kids.”
He said the schools are encouraging the behavior of “walking up” rather than walking out, where students instead approach students who are having a bad day and befriend them.
In addition to the meeting, Jennifer Harvey, director of the Champaign County Children’s Literacy Foundation, presented her one-year old organization to the board.
She talked about how the literacy program helps children in the district acquire books to improve their reading skills. The organization also promotes a mentorship program that pairs students with volunteers in the community.
“This is a community development approach to helping our kids in schools,” Harvey said. “It’s a program that’s based specific to each child, and it’s all focused on promoting developmental assets.”
She said the program currently has four mentors and nine students from the third, fourth and fifth grades. She said the foundation is actively looking for more mentors within the community to volunteer.
Finally at the meeting, the board decided approve a resolution opposing House Bill 512. The bill would have the Ohio House of Representatives consider legislation that would combine various departments into one new state agency called the Department of Learning and Achievement.