This Arkansas school installed solar panels to save millions on energy and increase teachers’ pay

Since switching to solar in 2017, the Batesville School District in Arkansas recovered from budget deficit and now has a $1.8 million surplus, using the money to attract and retain quality staff.

Arkansas School District Goes Solar And spends the savings on upping teachers pay

An Arkansas school district has saved so much money since switching to solar power for their buildings, they were able to eliminate their budget deficits and increase their teaching staff salaries.

Arkansas school district offers a guiding example

Public school districts across the United States are facing massive budget deficits, reported MyModernMet recently. As districts tighten their fiscal belts, art classes are cut, teacher salaries stagnate, and it grows harder to attract (and keep) talented staff. The way out of large deficits may seem daunting, but the economic success of one Arkansas school district offers a guiding example for many others. 

The Batesville School District switched to solar power in 2017 and, as a result, has since climbed out of its $250,000 budget deficit. Beyond simply recouping losses, however, the district has accumulated an impressive $1.8 million in budget surplus from energy savings—a surplus which is going towards raising underpaid teachers’ salaries.

In 2017, the company Entegrity conducted an audit of the district’s energy efficiency. The grim results found that the small consortium of six schools was spending a staggering $600,000 per year on energy. Batesville superintendent Michael Hester could think of better ways to use that much-needed cash. 

Faced with staff turnover and deficit, Hester knew that by raising teachers’ salaries, the district could attract and retain quality faculty. Quality faculty would help boost the student’s performance and allow the district to rise in state achievement rankings.

Source: MyModernMet

the district’s energy consumption has become significantly more environmentally friendly

Assured by the promise of millions saved on energy over the years, the district took out a bond to finance the switch to clean energy. Batesville High School installed 1,400 solar panels. In only three years, the district has seen massive savings which have allowed for boosting teacher’s pay. The district has risen in state rankings as a result. 

The cherry on top is that the district’s energy consumption has also become significantly more environmentally friendly. Other nearby districts saw these encouraging results and have since followed suit, installing solar programs of their own.

Source: MyModernMet

5.3 million students attend schools powered, at least in part, by solar energy

The Batesville School District joins a growing number of schools turning to solar energy to reduce costs, lower global emissions, and make up budget shortages. As of 2019, 5.3 million students attend schools powered, at least in part, by solar energy. This number has grown as state and local governments get on board with the switch to renewable energy. 

Twenty-eight states and the District of Columbia have taken actions to encourage the shift. These policies encourage companies to shoulder the start-up costs of installing solar panels and infrastructure on school grounds. The districts pay for the energy they use, without having to manage the energy production themselves.

With the many logistical red-tape hurdles that still exist, administrators might also worry that public opinion could be skeptical of the switch to solar. However, administrators in Batesville found the exact opposite. Living near a coal-fired energy plant due to close over the next decade, residents did not recoil from solar but actually recognised renewable energy as the industry (and jobs) of the future. 

Hopefully, other school districts across the country will make the switch to solar—for their budgets, their teachers and students, and the wider health of our planet.

Source: MyModernMet