Norfolk schools reduce cost of proposed energy savings plan

NORFOLK

School administrators have scaled back a proposed multimillion-dollar energy and cost savings plan at the direction of city officials.

The original plan called for $31 million to improve the energy-efficiency of more than 50 school division buildings. The most costly items were 17 boilers and three geothermal systems.

The school division would borrow money to pay for the work, and savings from the plan would have paid the debt within 12 years, according to Fred Schmitt, the school division's chief financial officer.

City officials said the city couldn't afford the debt of the more expensive option, however, so they worked with school leaders to develop a less costly plan. The schools budget consists of money from the city, the state and federal sources.

The amended proposal, presented to the School Board on Wednesday, costs $8.4 million in 2008-09, including $5.1 million from the city. About $2 million from the school division's capital budget will pay for one of the geothermal systems, Schmitt said.

If extra school money becomes available, another $800,000 would pay for a power management system for the school division's computers and water conservation measures, he said.

The revised plan would save about $1.1 million a year.

"We like to think of this as the first phase," Schmitt said. "We just can't tell you when phases two, three, four are going to happen."

Amy Jeter, (757) 446-2730, amy.jeter@pilotonline.com