Energy grant application delayed; district staff say additional local funding would be needed

District staff told the board that the energy grant application was not completed in the recent application window because the district lacked accurate energy‑use data and faced a tight timeline to collect information. Staff reported that the grant would not cover the full project cost and that the district would still face a significant local funding gap if the project proceeds.

A facilities representative said the grant would not cover the entire cost and estimated roughly $2,300,000 would need to come from local sources. The district had begun groundwork — walking facilities, locating underground infrastructure and assessing where systems could be installed — but staff and the grant consultant agreed the application window was too tight to assemble accurate, auditable usage data within two weeks.

The facilities director said he would coordinate with the utility (Unitil) to determine whether an electrical upgrade (for example to a 200‑amp feed at the school) could be scheduled to align with a future grant round. The board was told Unitil had not yet set an upgrade schedule and that the facilities director would contact the utility to explore timing if the district reapplies in a later round.

Board members said work completed this year provided useful baseline information and that staff plan to spend the coming year preparing a stronger, more complete application for the next round.