YISD approves $4 million energy savings project

Yoakum ISD Trustees approved a $4 million project with Schneider Electric to renovate the Yoakum Junior High School’s HVAC system and replace indoor and outdoor lighting throughout district campuses.

During their Sept. 12 meeting, the School Board voted in favor of the project that guaranteed budget neutrality, with anticipated savings countering payments over a 20-year financing period. The project was approved with the understanding that funding would stem from ESSER allotments and savings.

“Our concern all along has been that there’s no room in our budget because of what the State has done with our funding,” said Trustee Terry Boening. “What we’re looking at doing is delaying payments of the bond for at least a year so that we can see those savings and accrue savings so that we can pay for the next year, so it doesn’t impact the budget.”

Schneider Electric staff emphasized the importance of prompt action, citing 40-year inflation highs that could result in an additional $300-400 thousand in project costs if action was delayed one year. The approved project total was $4,074,113. 

“The timing is crucial given inflation and to get the air conditioner projected completed by the end of next summer at the Junior High,” said Superintendent Tom Kelley. “To do that, we have to get the ball rolling now.”

The School Board’s approval followed a months-long process that included an initial identification of areas that could use improvements, then a whittled-down list of expenditures to a critical list, and lastly, further minimizing of the project scope to ensure the initiative was budget-neutral.