Submitted article
In an effort to save taxpayer dollars and provide a unique learning opportunity, the Bucyrus City Schools has launched a solar panel construction project at the Secondary School. Construction began Monday, Sept. 29, and is slated to be complete within eight weeks, weather permitting.
This is a multi-million dollar project that does not require capital funding from the school district’s general funds for installation of the solar panels, including materials and labor costs. Once complete, the Bucyrus City Schools will be generating clean energy from 2,002 solar panels atop the Secondary School.
“This project is an absolute homerun for our students and community,” Treasurer Ryan Cook said. “We are not spending a single penny for the installation of these solar panel arrays, and the students will have unique learning opportunities while district taxpayers will see that we are being good stewards of their tax dollars.”
All work areas will be taking place outside of the facility, or in the electrical room, and will not impact any student areas inside the Secondary School. The projected electricity output for the solar panels is .492 megawatts, resulting in an estimated electricity bill savings of thirty percent in the first year.
In addition to benefiting the students and taxpayers, the Bucyrus and Crawford County community will also benefit. Throughout the construction project, the contractors will be staying in local hotels throughout the week, eating at local establishments and shopping within the community.
“We are very excited about what this project is going to provide for our students, the taxpayers and the entire community,” Superintendent Kevin Kimmel said. “There are only a handful of districts around the state who have a solar panel array like the one we are installing, which continues to set the Bucyrus City Schools apart from other schools in the region because we are enhancing students’ opportunities to have a customized and personalized educational experience.”
Please contact Mr. Cook at 419-562-4045 or email rcook@bucyrusschools.org with questions or for more information about this project. Photos of the construction progress, along with additional updates and information, will be featured on the district’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/bucyrusredmen) and Twitter page (www.twitter.com/bucyrusredmen).