Albert Lea school officials said last winter was the most expensive on record, and the school board had to pass a budget amendment Monday to cover the high energy costs.

Tuesday, May 08, 2001

Albert Lea school officials said last winter was the most expensive on record, and the school board had to pass a budget amendment Monday to cover the high energy costs.

This winter’s bill for electricity and gas was much higher that the amount budgeted for the year, said Mark Stotts, District 241 finance director.

&uot;We had been anticipating higher prices, but not to this degree,&uot; Stotts told the board, adding that the district also had additional square footage to heat this year with both the old and new high schools.

Following the recommendation of Stotts, the school board passed a budget amendment for $300,000 to cover additional electric and natural gas expenses for the 2000/2001 school year. Stotts said the money will come from the district’s general fund balance.

The amendment is a one-year adjustment, said Stotts, and won’t have to be repeated next year, especially if the district can find a buyer for the Central High School building.

&uot;Next year we can soften the blow. If we can’t find a developer for the old high school, we can at least drain the pipes and close it up,&uot; Stotts said. &uot;That would be a significant energy savings.&uot;

Facilities and Transportation Director Bruce Olson said the district is learning how to conserve more energy every year. The new high school, he said, will eventually be the most efficient building in the district once workers learn the finer points of the geothermal heating and cooling system.

&uot;We feel we can do better energy-wise at the new location,&uot; Olson said. &uot;There are still a lot of ins and outs to figure out with the whole system.&uot;

Olson said the district is also experimenting with interruptible heat and interruptible electricity to cut energy costs.

Though the Minnesota Senate did propose an emergency energy assistance package early in the legislative session, it did not find support in the House. Stotts said both houses are looking at longer-term solutions to high energy prices.

&uot;Unfortunately, (the emergency assistance bill) didn’t go through. &uot;Emergency assistance – any kind of assistance – would have been very helpful,&uot; Stotts said.

Olson said the district has a better feel for the trend toward higher energy prices, and can better anticipate the energy budget next year.

&uot;Hopefully, what Mark (Stotts) just proposed is a one-time thing,&uot; Olson said.