Solar panels will be installed at nine schools in the district after the approval by the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Board of Education at its April 14 special meeting. Also discussed was the decrease in program spending resulting from Measure R revenues being used to fund the district’s major budget gaps.
The board approved solar panel systems to be installed at Grant Elementary School, Franklin Elementary School, McKinley Elementary School, John Muir Elementary School, Will Rogers Elementary School, Roosevelt Elementary School, Juan Cabrillo Elementary School, Pt. Dume Marine Science School, and Webster Elementary School.
The district entered into a contract with REgeneration Finance, LLC. REgeneration’s solar panel systems will be installed on the roofs of the school sites, and will not extend above the rooflines more than several inches. The offer is expected to save the district almost $1.1 million in energy costs and avoid the production of 23,822 tons of greenhouse gases over the next 25 years, according to the reports.
Measure R Scales Down Costs
The Measure R annual revenue will see an increase for the 2010-11 school year to cover lost state funding and preserve programs. The BOE approved a plan that reserved more than $8.5 million for the budget gap during the meeting.
The rest of the $10.4 budget is used for program and administration funding. Program funding saw a dramatic decrease of about $2.1 million from 2009-10. SMMUSD increased financial support from the previous year in areas such as special education, community services and physical education.
The parcel tax combined Measures S and Y in a 2008 election in order to fill gaps in the district’s budget. The BOE approved the Measure R annual plan as part of the required annual review of the funding measure. The annual budget adoption is for the following fiscal year.
The special meeting allowed for community members to address any concerns or to give input. The proposed plan is required to be available for public comment 90 days prior to the Board adoption. The full plan has been available on the district’s website since March 18. According to Measure R provisions the Independent Citizens Oversight Committee gave recommendations to the board as well.
KATHERINE PEACH
Mirror Staff Writerkatherine@smmirror.com
