Oakmont students looking for a shinning new option
By Caitlyn Kelleher JOURNAL REPORTERS

Three Oakmont students got an unexpected hand on Tuesday, March 25, at the Ashburnham-Westminster Regional School Committee when they presented their work to get solar panels for the high school.

The students - Hannah Ulshen, Joanna Gustafson and Alyssa Christianson - are working to complete an independent study with the hope of getting a fully-funded grant to put solar panels on the roof to help reduce the school's electricity bill.

"We're hoping to save some money and give back to our school," said Christianson.

The group, which also includes Gretchen Carlson, has researched the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, but has run into an issue because Ashburnham's electricity is provided by a municipal company and not the National Grid.

The student presented their work to the school committee as well as the district's two state representatives and two state senators.

"We'll get you some face time with those officials," said Sen. Stephen Brewer. (D-Barre) "We'll work with you guys to make sure some funding there is some funding in that area."

The loop-hole maybe as a regional school district Westminster has electricity from the National Grid.

The 150-page application needs to be submitted by June 30, in order to try to get funding during the next fiscal year.

Committee member Keith Glenny asked how many schools have solar powering and also asked whether there were panels to help heat the building instead of just feeding into the electricity supplies.

The girls said there are about 20 other school districts across the state that use the panels and that most of them are using the ones to feed into the electrical systems.

"We're looking to get a feasibility study done for the roof," Christianson said.

There are 200 panels that will have to give $400,000 to $600,000 and it would pay themselves off in less than 15 years with the savings to the electrical bill. The panels are self-cleaning so there would not be an added maintenance cost.

"It's a growing trend," she said.

School Committee Chairman David Christianson, who is Alyssa's father, said the group may also help with the John R. Briggs building project because the Massachusetts School Building Authority increases reimbursement for green school categories.

In other business:

• The district's legislative team told Committee members not to expect any additional funding for their operating budget above that agreed upon in the joint resolution, earlier this month, which is a $400,000 increase over last year's funding.

They agreed to lobby for regional transportation but not to expect 100 percent reimbursement. Superintendent Michael Zapantis did not budget for that much reimbursement in the School Committee's certified budget.

The committee advocated for the legislators to continue to work on special education reimbursement and funding other promised money to their fullest.

• School Committee members decided to take their budget discussions to the public, especially the school councils, the parent-teacher organizations and the Booster club.

The members are trying to decide whether to increase athletic fees from $100 with a limited number of sports teams to over $160 to cover a full complement of the sports. They are also trying to determine how much of the capital plan to fund from the district's excess and deficiency; and how much to put into the stabilization account, while balancing that with an override request for the district's operating budget.