When people are arguing, the loudest statement often comes from the person who doesn’t open their mouth.
For example, imagine in the Ukraine/Russia situation if Germany was staying completely silent. People would be left to wonder about the motivation. Could it mean the country would not stand with other nations in defense of Ukraine? Had it formed a clandestine alliance?
I mention this because I am bewildered by the fact that not a single representative of any school district spoke at Tuesday’s solar farm meeting called by the county commissioners.
The session was called so stakeholders could give input on the notion of blocking any future solar projects from locating in the county. So many residents turned out that the gathering had to move to a larger venue. Hundreds of people watched in person, with more following online. More than 20 people spoke. None of them represented a school district.
Some who leased land to the solar companies explained why. Owners of neighboring properties appealed that their land value was being diminished. Proponents and opponents volleyed such issues as safety, property rights, drainage and taxes. Those who spoke were near evenly divided on each side of the solar fence.
In the coming days or weeks, the county commissioners will likely render a decision on the issue. They could chose to ban all future projects or allow companies to negotiate with landowners unhindered. It’s possible that a county-wide ban could allow the commissioners to allow particularly viable projects a path to operation, similar to how a board of zoning appeals can work around zoning constraints.
And as the county will rake a great deal of tax money from solar farms (hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars annually) the taxpayers of this area deserve to know the commissioners’ reasoning behind handling such a potential windfall. They will certainly offer it when discussing the potential ban in the future.
But the schools have been silent.
North Union’s Board of Education was approached by a commissioner prior to the meeting and would not offer a stance. Last week, Marysville’s board briefly discussed the issue more as a fact gathering measure than anything else.
The schools stand to make a great deal of money from the already approved solar farms. Marysville would take in at least $500,000 per year from the farm located in its borders and North Union’s haul could double that number.
That’s impactful money.
Because North Union’s enrollment doesn’t fluctuate much, that type of money could mean a serious improvement in education offerings for students. The district revenue is $20M now, so the two planned solar farms (and a possible third) will already bump that by about 5%.
Marysville stands to make less money and has revenue more than eight times larger than NU, but it also has a different situation with enrollment. Marysville is already planning for a future that will see it battling student population growth with tax levies in the coming decade. While the money Marysville stands to make will probably not be felt by students, it very well could be felt by taxpayers.
Millions of dollars dumped into Marysville coffers over the next 35 years from a solar farm could help it extend the levy cycle it is about to enter. The revenue won’t keep the district from needing levies, but could push them back a few years down the road.
And from my perspective, Fairbanks, Triad and Jon Alder have the most to lose. Marysville and North Union already have farms coming that can’t be stopped, but those three districts stand to have future revenue streams squashed.
The simple truth is that the districts have no official role in the process. They don’t get a vote, but they have a powerful, resonating voice. I think the wishes of the school districts would have echoed in the ears of the commissioners, but they didn’t say anything at all.
If they are worried that supporting solar farms would anger too many district residents, say that. If they are fundamentally opposed to the erosion of farmland while operating FFA programs, say that. If they think financial incentives offered to farms are too big, say that.
Or, if they think the stabilizing infusion of money into the district is too important to pass up, say that. If they think that the investment in renewable energy is responsible growth and an important lesson for students, say that.
Say something. Say anything.
This is an unbelievably important moment in the future of Union County and area schools, and the schools have been uncharacteristically silent.
As a Marysville resident, I have been proud of the local board’s ability to make tough decisions, even if they are unpopular. They were measured and steadfast in every decision surrounding the pandemic. They yielded to science and safety despite the shouts of fake news and freedom.
When they had to make the tough choice to reclaim the former East School Building, they did so with an eye to the future of education. This came at the detriment of a beloved local support organization, but they explained their reasoning and stood by it.
We need the same thing now.
Silently hoping for solar scratch, while the issue has its head in a guillotine isn’t leadership.
People care about the opinions of their school leaders. They want to know the reasoning behind how their money is being spent. I have supported school expenditures that some thought were frivolous. I have also supported cuts that many felt were extreme. But, on both sides of that coin, I had been allowed to view the thought process.
I want to know where school leaders stand on the issue of solar farms, but we have been left in the dark.
–Chad Williamson is the managing editor of the Journal-Tribune