Originally published November 28 2005
Pennsylvania charter school seeks funds for solar energy project
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
The Souderton Charter School Collaborative recently received a grant awarded from the Sustainable Energy Fund and now plans to seek a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Education.
Some things have fallen through," Wendy Ormsby, director of organizational development, told the school's board of trustees Tuesday night.
In April, the board voted to move forward with a $15,700 grant for solar panels and equipment that would teach students about solar power.
The board authorized Paula Wynn, a middle school science teacher, to sign the paperwork necessary for the school to receive the money.
The grant had been awarded by the Sustainable Energy Fund, which was established by the Public Utility Commission in 1999 to promote renewable energy and energy conservation in southeastern Pennsylvania.
Of the total grant, $10,000 would be allocated to cover 20 percent of the cost of rooftop photovoltaic panels.
The balance of the grant would be applied to in-class kits, such as solar-powered cars or construction toys, and a photovoltaic panel atop a pole that could be turned to show students how the amount of energy production would be affected.
She also told the board it was "very questionable" that the school could get an additional $18,000 grant from the Sustainable Development Fund for the solar panels.
That group was apparently allocating its money to organizations that had already contracted to have solar equipment installed, Ormsby explained.
Meanwhile, Ormsby said a donor had offered to provide $5,000 for the pole-top portable teaching unit.
But without the money from the Sustainable Development Fund, she added, the school would need to pursue a $29,300 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Education to cover the balance of the rooftop solar array.
At Ormsby's recommendation, the board authorized Wynn to spend 10 more hours, at a cost of $200, to look into what could be done about getting funding for the school.
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