From the Mind of Jason Zandri

WALLINGFORD — As the district ponders adding $1.4 million in energy effi­ciency projects into its budget, and searches for grants to cover upgrades, the question may be asked: Why wasn’t green energy ad­dressed when the town coughed up $72.3 million for a comprehensive 11-school ren­ovation that spanned nearly a decade?

Officials who were in­volved in the early stages of the project, which began in 1999 and was formally ac­cepted in 2008, say the an­swer is simple. Different times mean different priori­ties.

During the late 1990s, walls were crumbling at several schools, and halls were freez­ing at Rock Hill School. High­land School had no front en­trance, old ventilation systems needed to be re­placed, and buildings did not meet disability and fire codes. Schools lacked space for sup­port services and library me­dia centers and a host of other issues took priority.

“It was really just an at­tempt to try to bring the buildings up to where they should be with media centers and rooms for people to have meetings,” said Valerie Ford, the longest standing board member who has been in­volved in school renovation projects since the late 1980s. “It was not even remotely considered to make the schools energy efficient at the time.”

New entrances were built at several schools, separate car and buss loops were paved, new ventilation systems were purchased and air quality im­proved. Yalesville School was the only of 12 buildings to be excluded from renovations, as it was renovated as part of a prior project, which included re-districting schools and eliminating elementary school crowding.

“It was a pretty comprehen­sive project,” said Donald Har­wood, who chaired the volun­teer renovation committee, which outlasted three superin­tendents. “There were so many things that we did,” he said noting ceiling, roofing, hazardous waste, electrical, plumbing, air conditioning, and other improvements. The project was bonded by the town, and reimbursed by the state by up to 30 percent.

Joseph Cirasuolo, executive director of The Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents, who was su­perintendent when the pro­ject’s scope was determined, said not only did the district lack adequate space for serv­ices; infrastructure was also a major priority, so the project focused on the two issues.

“We didn’t have all the infor­mation we have now about how to make schools green, how to save energy, whatso­ever,” Cirasuolo said, “so we went forward with the project.” The Public Utilities Com­mission handed over $40,000 to cover an energy-efficiency audit of the 12 schools — the town’s largest property holder. And the results from NXEGEN consulting firm suggest the schools are far from energy ef­ficient. The audit was made possible due to efforts by the Wallingford Energy Conserva­tion Commission, formed last year and lead by Town Council Chairman Mike Brodinsky.

The preliminary report, pre­sented to the school board ear­lier this month, suggested nine measures including re-setting energy management equip­ment and installing insulation in boiler plants. If the board is able to apply all of the meas­ures, it would require a $1.4 million investment with an av­erage of three years payback. The measures would then save nearly $500,000 in energy ex­penses annually. It currently pays about $2.2 million in fuel and electricity costs annually.

Cirasuolo, who advocates on behalf of district heads across the state, said green energy is becoming a “quiet national pri­ority.” Many school systems are in the same place as Wallingford, as far as evaluat­ing how best to address the sit­uation, he said. “Some are fur­ther along and some are just starting,” he added.

But the changes of making costly upgrades in the coming school year will be highly un­likely without taping into available grant money.
This year, the requested budget of $87.6 million was slashed by the Council and mayor by $2.6 million to $85 million. The district is prepar­ing for similar circumstances this year.

Mayor William W. Dickin­son Jr., said energy conserva­tion is important, but not with­out keeping cash flow in mind. “The longer the payback, the less, probably, we’re going to be able to front money on something,” Dickinson said.

“We’ll take it up as we can depending upon what money is available and what can be applied for.”

Board Chairman Michael Votto said the board may be able to incorporate some of the upgrades, but mostly it will search out grant money. Board Vice Chairman Thomas Hen­nessey, who also sits on the en­ergy commission, is all for green upgrades, echoed simi­lar thoughts as Votto.

As far as Ford is concerned, even some upgrades may be too much this year: “Anything that cost money is probably not going to happen,” she said.