Regarding Joe Mathews’s post, “The Easy Fix for Prop 39”:
Taxpayers expect government to invest wisely and that is exactly what is happening with Proposition 39 funding. Energy Efficiency projects will provide benefits to schools for decades to come, the sort of projects that demand careful planning and don’t get done overnight.
As of today, nearly 100 projects have been completed at 38 schools. Students returning to Costa Mesa High School in Orange County will see solar panels installed over the athletic center parking lot and the outdoor lunch seating area. Parents dropping kids off at Helen Wilcox Elementary school in Oroville will find all 35 classrooms glowing with new LED lighting – upgrades that will save the school $15,000 annually in energy costs. Administrators at Big Creek School in eastern Fresno County noticed a significant decrease in their utility bills after they replaced 100-year-old lighting systems.
For many of these schools, these are the first energy improvement projects in years. The upgrades will make it easier and safer for students to learn, and over time they will save school districts millions of dollars on their energy bills. These savings can be reinvested in things that matter most – improving learning, boosting academic performance and preparing our children for a bright future.