By Bill Reynolds
La Conner Community News
La Conner Schools is on summer break, but that doesn’t mean work isn’t getting done on campus these days.
Quite the opposite, actually.
Progress is being made on several school district projects and programs scheduled while students and staff are on vacation.
Starting at the top — literally and figuratively — is the installation of solar panels on the La Conner Elementary building, part of major district upgrades to campus energy systems.
The project, which will feature solar panels and battery energy storage for the elementary and middle school buildings, is being funded by $1.9 million in Washington State Department of Commerce Decarbonization grants.
A&R Solar of Seattle installed panels at the middle school several months ago in an initial phase of the local solarization initiative.
The project is designed to significantly reduce campus carbon footprints as well as district electric use and costs, said La Conner Schools Superintendent David Cram. In addition, it will allow the district to provide community evacuation and warming centers during periods of grid outages and extreme weather.
Cram credited the Skagit Valley Clean Energy Alliance, which was founded in La Conner four years ago, and Cascadia Renewables of Bellingham, for playing key roles in the solarization process. Cram said the alliance took the lead in developing the project’s successful grant applications and that Cascade Renewables is managing the project.
“They are great partners,” said Cram, who anticipates the solar panel work at the elementary campus will be completed before classes resume this fall.
Long before school starts up again, the Whittaker Field running/walking track will be reopened with a new polyurethane surface, Cram said. Crews from Beynon Sports Surfaces this past week began striping the now blue-shaded oval, he said.
“The color isn’t as dark as I’d thought it would be,” said Cram, “and it matches up pretty well with the football grandstands. It looks really good. I’m pretty pumped up by what’s happening out there.”
Cram noted that $200,000 of the estimated $233,000 cost of the resurfacing project is being covered by an outside donor.
“We really appreciate that private donation,” Cram said.
Thus far this summer, said Cram, repair work has been done on the exterior brick walls of the building that houses the Tim Bruce Performing Arts Center while Toby Walls, the district’s facilities maintenance specialist, has painted window frames at the two-story administration building.
On the academic front, Cram said that the Braves Hub will host a three-week (July 13-30) Summer Adventure Camp offering enrichment and learning opportunities in art and science plus “Skagit Safari” field trips for students entering first through sixth grades.
Thus, at least for now, there aren’t any lazy summer days marked on the La Conner Schools calendar.
Bill Reynolds is a general assignment reporter for La Conner Community News.
