New Lighting System Making Vernon Schools a lot Brighter, Official Says

Public School officials have a slightly brighter outlook in their back-to-school preparations this year.

OK, it's a much brighter outlook and it has materialized one light bulb at a time. 

A major summer project endorsed by the Board of Education in April has been ongoing at each school over the summer and has almost been completed, Director of Business and Finance Michael Purcaro said in Monday.

Workers have been replacing every existing light bulb in every building with fluorescent LED technology, utilizing an interest-free loan from the Connecticut Light & Power Energy Fund.

"It's a program that will show a positive revenue stream in our utility bills per month while paying down the loan," Purcaro has said.

He cited Center Road School as an example. The total cost for bulb replacement is $34,350 and the monthly payment for the 36-month loan is $954. Purcaro said the energy savings is projected to be $1,456 per month, putting the school system in the black to the tune of $511 per month in the program at the school. 

He said a classroom at Northeast School was a glaring example of the better lighting.

Make than a lot less glaring.

"It's quite a difference," he said. "It's OK to say a picture is worth a thousand words, so to speak, but one look at the new lighting says it all."

Purcaro said after the loan is paid off, the school system could be saving as much as $110,000 a year on energy costs for all buildings.

The project should easily be completed in time for the first days of school - scheduled for Aug. 29 and 30, he said.