Solar Project Saves Music Programs in California School District

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An impoverished rural school district in “California’s San Joaquin Valley has resuscitated its music ed classes–shuttered since 2009 for lack of funds–with savings from the solar it’s installed on three of its five schools,” one of our readers and a representative of SolarCity noted to CleanTechnica in a recent email. Blessings for the children, thanks to environmental concern, productivity, and hard work.

Dynamic Solar Events

Right Brain Integral in Brain Integration, Cognition

Everyone should know that children learn better when their right brain is not shut down. Schools tend to shut it down on some levels, unless one is in a Waldorf School system, which would be considered by some educators to be too right-brained.

And yet, in the name of education, and with disregard for our youth, we have cut arts programs from our school systems, hoping instead that with our young ones on debilitating amounts of Adderall, Ritalin, and Effexor (promoted as educational enhancers) they will learn.

Honestly, we seem downright stupid as a culture in terms of real educational programs. Either we want to create drones or we are strangling ourselves. Blame it on whoever holds the reins of “the Illuminati” and give up. Or rather, don’t. Create a solar project and fund the arts through holistic energy sources!

Here’s more on how the school district mentioned above has done so, courtesy the Fresno Bee (print edition):

$900,000 in 5 Years from Solar

“Firebaugh-Las Deltas Unified School District has restored music instruction, which had been suspended since 2009 for lack of funds, with savings from SolarCity’s installation of nearly one megawatt of solar at three of its five district schools,” the Fresno Bee notes.

“The newly installed SolarCity systems at Firebaugh High School, Middle School, and Hazel Bailey Elementary will allow the district to pay less for clean solar power than it would for fossil fuel utility power. The district is expected to save more than $900,000 in the systems’ first five years of operation, and several million over the life of the system.”

“Solar energy projects for public schools are essentially revenue enhancements for school districts which directly benefit the students and taxpayers,” said Russell Freitas, Superintendent of Firebaugh-Las Deltas Unified School District.  “During these past ten years, school districts have experienced the most difficult financial times and because of the savings this solar project has created, we are able to bring music instruction back to the District.”

Music programs for grades six through twelve that have been eliminated since 2009 have been revived due to the new solar savior, with a variety of new or revived music programs for 4th through 12th graders in place for the 2012-13 school year.


 
“School districts across the country are pursuing ways to allocate as much of their budgets as possible to what matters most: the education of their communities’ children,” said Dennis Cox, Regional Vice President at SolarCity. “Firebaugh-Las Deltas is at the forefront of the movement to go solar and save money while doing right by the planet that their students will inherit.”

The Fresno Bee notes that “SolarCity has completed or undertaken more than 200 solar projects for schools, community colleges and universities across the country. The company employs more than 70 people in its Fresno office.”

And the solar project isn’t only helping with the arts. The students will also be able to examine how solar technology works, learn about solar energy’s numerous benefits, and access SolarCity’s web-based monitoring “PowerGuide®,” which will show the students what the solar panels are producing at their school in real time.

Image: “Dynamic Solar Events” by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center (some rights reserved)


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Cynthia Shahan

Cynthia Shahan, started writing after previously doing research and publishing work on natural birth practices. Words can be used improperly depending on the culture you are in. (Several unrelated publications) She has a degree in Education, Anthropology, Creative Writing, and was tutored in Art as a young child thanks to her father the Doctor. Pronouns: She/Her

Cynthia Shahan has 947 posts and counting. See all posts by Cynthia Shahan