"Most of the great innovative things that happen in public education and education in general, really take root around here, at the local level, said Ron Tomalis, Pennsylvania's Education Secretary, while attending the Tamaqua Area School District's (TASD) thermal energy kickoff.

This was the district's second phase of major renovations to replace obsolete heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems to reduce energy consumption.Tuesday's kickoff at the West Penn Elementary School, was organized and sponsored by the McClure Company, the company contracted to do the project, and was held a short distance from where a large drill has begun digging the wells where the geothermal system is being installed as part of the project.Work on the project started immediately following the end of the school year. When the project is done, the West Penn Elementary School will utilize a combined-loop system, comprised of 32 geothermal wells, each stretching 400 feet underground, to both heat and cool the building using a food grade chemical, glycol, that travels through the system transferring cold in the summer and heat in the winter."Having the opportunity to come out to Tamaqua and see the innovative practices happening at the Tamaqua School District is an opportunity I couldn't pass up," stressed Tomalis."If you see the actual application of some great ideas on the outside of the building, you can imagine the innovation happening inside the building. Seeing first-hand some of the things you are doing here is a great demonstration of what the potential is out there. We are always looking for ways to get that extra drop out of that dollar," added Tomalis.Shayne Homan, of McClure Company, stated, "In 2009, the district provided the McClure Company the opportunity to partner and implement phase one of a district-wide facility improvement and energy conservation project."Carol Makuta, TASD Superintendent, stated, "The results through the first 18 months of operation exceeded the projected savings. After the first year, the district curtailed 2,250,000 kilowatt hours of electricity and 10,000 gallons of fuel oil."Phase one work at the high school included drilling 72 6-inch-wide wells, each 500 feet deep, at a football practice field."Homan added, "As a result, the phase one improvements saved the district $250,000 the first year in energy costs and also received $149,354 from PPL's E-Power Act 129 rebate program."Arthur J. Oakes, Director of Facilities, TASD, pointed out that phase one of the $4.5 million project started in the Tamaqua high school building in 2009.He added," The project replaced an aged electric heating system at the high school with a geothermal heating and cooling system."He pointed out that the 10-part project consists of tinted windows at the high school, geothermal wells at the West Penn and Tamaqua elementary schools, control upgrades to the middle school, district-wide enveloping(sealing) of all buildings, upgrading flush valves at the high school and elementary school and a few others.Makuta said, "This success encouraged the district to enter phase two to further reduce our energy consumption and address our much needed facility improvements."As a result of this current phase, phase two, the district is projected to save an additional $200,000 per year in energy costs, totaling $450,000 in yearly savings."This project gives us money that otherwise would have been spent in energy costs to use for educational programs," added Makuta.Homan, who is from Schuylkill county, pointed out, " After the completion of phase two, the Tamaqua Area School District will undoubtedly be one of the most advanced and efficient districts in Pennsylvania, if not the most efficient.""All this is being done at no additional expense to the community and by enhancing existing structures rather than building new ones," Homan added.Other local officials attending the kickoff ceremony were West Penn Supervisors chairman Al Martinez, treasurer Karen Wittig, McClure Company Representatives, MetroTec Representatives and TASD Board of Directors and administration team. Rep. Jerry Knowles and Christine Verdier, representing Sen. Dave Argall, were also in attendance.Makuta added, " The TASD Board of Education continually looks for measures to reduce expenditures and improve learning environments for our students. In addition to our energy savings program with McClure Company, the Board has recently affiliated with MetroTec in a 'Net Zero' solar project which will ultimately provide all the power necessary to power all of the district's buildings."TASD Board of Education President Larry Wittig pointed out the importance of air exchange for the students, also stressing the school's construction date of 1958."The project that we've undergone is not just smarter from a fiscal perspective, but from a comfort perspective." Wittig also pointed out the board's intention to be completely energy efficient in 20 years.Homan stressed that the grounds and lawn will be restored and will look as though nothing was done after the project is complete.Tomalis said Tuesday at West Penn Elementary School, "We talk a lot about what we as public officials and as government officials feel about the tax burden. We are always looking to get that extra drop from that dollar. We will be using this initiative as an example to other school districts."Phase two also includes similar geothermal upgrades at Tamaqua Elementary School."In these times of fiscal challenges, look around you to see where we've gone above and beyond our charge of educating our children," said Wittig. Connie Ligenza, TASD business manager, mentioned that the projects are being financed in part with bond issue and in part with a loan from the state Department of Community and Economic Development, at a 1 percent interest rate.Makuta pointed out that the the loan will be paid back through the energy cost savings at no extra expense to taxpayers.Tomalis praised, "This blend of looking at the different ways at which you can capture and sell the energy to put it back into the market is an innovative practice I'm going to be using as a model other school districts in the Commonwealth can do."