At the May 13 workshop meeting of the Plumsted Board of Education, the board voted 5-2 to suspend the prior authorization of the board to go ahead with the solar panel project. This project had the support of the past two school boards, the recent community task force charged with looking into facilities upgrades, and a large group of students from the high school environmental club who testified on its behalf.

Unfortunately, the motion to end this project was put forth without being put on the public agenda of the May 13 meeting and was introduced after the period for public comment had passed. In fact, fewer than 10 members of the public witnessed the board's deliberations on this important issue, and no public comment was taken on the topic prior to the vote to suspend the project.

Perhaps more disturbing than the lack of public input were some of the reasons put forth by board members in taking this action. Some board members continue to insist that the solar project will divert hundreds of thousands of dollars that could instead be spent on teachers and students, and that the project will be a gigantic tax burden on the taxpayers.

In fact, both of these claims are demonstrably false. In fact, the project makes the district money from day one — the projected profits during the first 15 years of the project ($50,000 to $60,000 per year) are enough to hire an additional teacher during that period.

I opposed the motion to end the solar project and am a strong supporter of installing solar panels on our schools. I am disappointed that the board did not exert more leadership here in advocating for clean and renewable sources of energy. Solar power is both an economic winner and an educational winner when it comes to a providing a "living laboratory" for our students.

If action is not taken to go forward with this project by the end of May, the district will lose out on a $334,000 grant that had previously been awarded from the state. If community members would like to offer their opinions for the board's consideration on solar energy and this project, I would urge them to do so at the May 27 board meeting.

Tony O'Donnell

member Board of Education

Plumsted