Publication of plans, projects and progress through community updates:

Solar Project:

After receiving much appreciated community support, the solar project has entered the next phase of development. Currently, the design plans are under review by the state Education Department's Office of Facilities Planning (OFP) and efforts are underway to collaborate with the village planning board to receive a Special Use Permit for the project.

The timeline for the project anticipates building permits to be issued in January 2025 with construction to soon follow. The project is scheduled for completion of construction in Nov. 2025 and the system is expected to be up and running the following month.

This system will not only offset 84 percent of the district's electrical use and reduce the budgetary spend on annual energy costs, it will provide an opportunity to educate students as the number one stakeholder. The educational opportunities will include student exposure to the construction process and reveal all of the different disciplines and trades involved in the process of construction. Having this exposure can spark interest for students that have not yet decided on a career path and help them choose a major for continued education or in entering the workforce. The student will have the opportunity to speak with developers, installers and construction workers to receive a real-world take on this industry.

The reality is that this type of energy transformation is a growing field for the future workforce to fill. It is a part of the district's mission, vision and values to have "Every Learner, Together, World Ready," so it is only fitting that as the district progresses with energy transformation to create a cleaner and more efficient learning environment. The district shares this experience with the students.

Heating and Cooling:

The district has some more exciting news to share. As mentioned in the previous update, the district has modified and resubmitted an application for design funding of the carbon reduction project at the East Hill complex that removes fossil fuels as the main source of heating energy and replaces it with electrified systems. The noticeable differences in this system change include the addition of air conditioning to all of the remaining classrooms and spaces that currently have none. This includes the Nellis gymnasium and band room, the East Hill gymnasium, cafeteria and all remaining classrooms without air conditioning and finally, all of the classrooms and educational spaces in the middle school. This modified design will complete the inclusion for all of the building's remaining educational spaces here at the district to finally have cooling capabilities leaving financing of the construction as the only major hurdle left to overcome in making this a reality.

The district is pleased to share that Canajoharie Central School District has received an award of $507,900 from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) through their P-12 Clean Green Schools track 1 program to design the Carbon Reduction system. This is the first and most critical step in the planning phase for large retrofit projects. Having this design completed at no cost to the district is a major step towards bringing this project to fruition. The next major step after design is complete is the securing of construction funding to implement this project and in turn, an application to NYSERDA for the P-12 Clean Green Schools track 2 program has been submitted. This program provides the local share of construction funding that would be expected to be paid by the district. This means that, if awarded, the district could leverage this funding with building aid allowing the district to complete the project at no out of pocket expense. The results of construction funding selection are expected out at the end of October 2024. The district has taken considerable time and effort to submit a strong application; however, this type of funding is competitive and is scored to determine selection. The district is anxiously awaiting to see if the application scored well enough for selection. Stay tuned to the next Community Update to hear about these results. We tried this a few years ago and came up empty but we reorganized our plan, listened to feedback from NYSERDA and put forth what we think is the best plan possible for an award.

Electric Vehicle Mandate:

As covered in the previous Community Update, the district has been involved in a fleet electrification plan over the past few months. This study has been fully subsidized by a grant from NYSERDA with the final results now expected by the end of October 2024.

This study has taken longer than expected as the district has been very proactive in ensuring that the plan includes aspects that would allow the district to meet its transportation needs under any circumstances. This advocacy includes things such as making sure the electric buses have enough range to transport students to and from school without needing charging in between (largest battery available). This type of intervention comes into play for regular occurrences like scheduled early dismissals or for unscheduled early dismissals due to a school closing event. The interventions have also included the consideration of backup power generation in the event of an overnight grid power outage that would render the electric buses uncharged for duties the following morning and the use of the fastest chargers when power is available to reduce the risk of uncharged electric buses when they are needed.

As it stands right now, this is a state mandate to convert the bus fleet to zero-emissions vehicles starting in 2027 and completed in 2035. Rest assured that the district is making every effort to ensure that this transition is as thorough and failsafe as possible for any foreseeable event.

The district will be receiving its first electric bus in June of 2025. Funding has been secured to receive this bus at no cost to the district. A requirement for electric buses is to have charging capabilities. The district is currently reviewing proposals to choose a charger that will both fit the transportation facilities capacity without upgrades and also be able to charge the electric bus in the shortest time frame. This charger is being selected with a dual port meaning that one port can be used for the district's electric bus at full charge or the charging capacity can be split between 2 buses if a visiting district with an electric bus needs to also charge, such as during a sports event held here at the district.

Because the district will have a fleet electrification plan in place, the district qualifies for an additional $30,000 in charging voucher funding through the New York School Bus Incentive Program (NYSBIP). This allows the district to procure and install the selected charger at no cost to the district.

Acquiring this first electric bus has many benefits that can only be experienced with its operation. This bus will start out on the shortest route and progressively move to longer routes up to the range limits. Each driver of the different routes will be asked to share their feedback on the daily operation of the electric bus to identify the pros and cons during operation. Having this bus on hand will also allow for mechanic feedback again identifying the pros and cons and supplying the district with real world charging and maintenance metrics. This information will prove invaluable when it comes time to transition in order to meet the state mandate. Start planning and start small, this is the most prudent course of action and the district is following this protocol.

Curriculum:

The new school year has begun and the district is continuing the energy infusion lessons into the classroom. Lessons will continue where they left off at the close of school last year. Elementary students will learn conservation practices through interaction with "Switch Buddy". This device facilitates the teaching of students to be conscientious about turning off lights when they leave a room and keeps energy at the forefront as they progress through grade levels.

Middle school students will continue to gain an understanding of energy, what we use it for, how much it costs and ways to manage it. The lessons are a recurring rotation presented to the three different periods of the middle school STEM classes. Once again, the lessons plan to include a wrap up lesson on the relationships between energy and the environment. This wrap up lesson included a trip to the Utica Energy Zone and the Utica Zoo. The positive feedback from students and teachers last year makes this an exciting event to look forward to again this year.

For high school students, the lessons are again infused into the Applied Physics in Engineering classes. After well received success from last year's infusion the enrollment in this class has doubled and is now conducted during two periods. This means that twice as many students will receive the energy infusion lessons as last year. In addition, new venues are being explored for the field trips and the first one for this year is to the Empire State Aeroscience Museum for association to the class lesson of the Principles of Flight which is connected to the energy infusion topic of Wind Energy.

In conclusion: The forward movement by the district is creating exciting opportunities for energy transformation, clean transportation and educational exposure. The district is striving to accomplish these goals at the least risk and cost while providing the healthiest and most efficient learning environment for the students, staff and community all while utilizing the opportunities to expose students to new possibilities.

Publication of plans, projects and progress through community updates:

Solar Project:

The Canajoharie Central School District would like to give thanks to the community for their outstanding support in approving the district’s efforts to keep pace with clean energy for resilience, sustainability and independence. 

The community has supported the ability to reduce the district’s costs for the solar array which will result in larger savings. This two fold effect will enhance the project’s return on investment and therefore enhance the district’s potential to use this project as the “on ramp” for future decarbonization projects that move from natural gas to electricity. The solar array will be located in front of the transportation facility and the work will be started in February of 2025 with a completion date in November.  The District’s Energy Management Plan has recently received national recognition from the U.S. Department of Energy as “Best in Class” for “Solutions Strategist”, with the solar array a major part of it. A sincere thank you to the community from the district

Heating and Cooling:

Over the past few years we were unsuccessful at securing funding to utilize Geothermal Energy for the original portions of the Elementary School. The district again submitted a plan for funding through NYSERDA to include all educational spaces at both the East Hill and Middle School complex that includes both gymnasiums and the shared cafeteria at the East Hill Complex (Elementary School, Middle School and Nellis Athletic Center). This design involves the use of electrically driven Air Source Heat Pumps for the Elementary and Middle Schools and electrically driven Ground Source Heat Pumps (Geothermal) for the Nellis Athletic Center. Because these systems are electrically driven, the benefits of having the solar project online to offset this additional electrical consumption are apparent and again increases savings by reducing natural gas expenses. As you may be aware, the East Hill complex is over 60 years old and the heating and cooling systems are dated.  

Decreasing the use of natural gas and switching to electricity has environmental benefits by reducing the emissions of Greenhouse Gases that affect the health of all those in attendance at the schools as well as for the community and environment as a whole. Electrically driven systems provide the added benefits of air conditioning for cooling that natural gas fired equipment does not. Adding cooling not only affects the school day and increases student learning, it also provides a new level of comfort for afterschool and summer activities that utilize the buildings. The district hopes that approaching this new level of comfort will entice higher levels of participation in extracurricular activities making the district’s buildings an even more attractive community resource than they already are.

Aside from the application to fund a comprehensive design of this new project to ensure that the best choices are incorporated, an application has also been submitted to secure construction funding in order to bring this project to fruition.

Electric Vehicle Mandate:

The district has been involved in a Fleet Electrification Plan over the past couple of months. This study has been fully subsidized by a grant from NYSERDA with the results expected by the end of July. This plan will detail the actions the district must take in order to meet the state mandate of electrifying the bus fleet starting in the year 2027 and completing the transition by 2035. As a result of proactive efforts to be ready for implementation of this mandate, the district has received notification of selection by the EPA, NYSERDA and Energy CLASS to receive subsidies for the entire cost of a new electric bus. An application is underway to subsidize the necessary charging station that will have the capacity for an additional charge port allowing visiting districts with electric buses to charge during events held here.

The district is poised to take advantage of this tremendous opportunity. We currently lease the buses, however, in order to utilize the subsidies, the district will have to revert back to owning. This has no effect on the normal operations of transportation but it does change the ownership status. Through recent conversation with the authorities having jurisdiction over this mandate, leasing may become an option in the near future allowing the district to continue its normal bus procurement lease model.

There are a lot of opinions about electric buses as to whether they provide the benefits they are touted to or not. This opportunity will give the district the first hand experience and knowledge to make well informed and experienced decisions for the path to fleet electrification while doing so with the least amount of risk.

Curriculum:

School is out for the summer but the impact the students are leaving with continues. At the close of this school year, the district has completed an Energy Infusion Curriculum that aligns with the vision of the district, “Every Learner, Together, World Ready”. 

The curriculum started at the elementary level by exposing the students to conservation practices that can provide benefits at home as well as at school. As students progress to Middle School they are given an understanding of what energy is and ways to manage its use. Students entering the high school environment have the opportunity to choose elective classes where the energy infusion takes place. There they are exposed to renewable energy systems and challenged to discover how these may come into play for their career choices. Almost every aspect of education can be associated with renewable energy. Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) are the obvious disciplines but the Humanities and Arts can also be connected to renewable energy career opportunities. English majors can play a significant role in communication and Arts majors can certainly delve into the marketing aspect.

The elementary students learned the essential life skills of Participation, Responsibility, Accountability and Teamwork through the conservation practices activities. Middle School students learned about what energy is, what we use it for and what it costs through exercises using real life data from district utility bills. They also conducted exercises on how to manage energy through conservation and efficiency by calculating results from actual district energy performance projects. In addition, students were presented with the relationships between energy and the environment that is connected through a field trip to the Utica Energy Zone.  It is an interactive educational center that explores the history and future of electricity, in conjunction with a tour of the Utica Zoo. Finally, students were encouraged to have an open discussion of their personal opinions about Renewable and Non-Renewable Energy. The freedom of choice is never stifled within the energy infusion lessons.

The final level of the energy curriculum was at the high school. There students were introduced to renewable energy systems and what benefits they provide. Next, they explored what locations might work best for each system type along with what conditions might affect output and are nudged to think globally.  An important aspect of the energy infusion is making the connections between class topics and renewable energy by demonstrating the relationships between them. The ultimate goal is to broaden the range of possibilities for career choices of students that are about to continue on to higher education or enter the workforce.  Field trips to a college that offer renewable/sustainable associate and bachelor degree programs and to a renewable energy generation site that revealed the opportunities for employment provides.

In conclusion: Ever since humans discovered fire, energy has influenced the development of civilization. As a focus on how we generate and use that energy becomes ever more prevalent in our world, it is the district’s responsibility to take the initiative of keeping pace with the ever changing world. Energy projects are focused on providing efficient and healthy schools for the number one stakeholder, the students and the energy infusion curriculum is essential to have “Every Learner, Together, World Ready”.