By Betts Putnam Hidalgo
There are large amounts of money that can be saved in TUSD before closing schools. Utilities are just one example.
TUSD is Tucson Water’s biggest customer. TUSD’s water bill is not as high as the District’s electricity bill ($11 million/year) but water use is easier to reduce. Here’s the problem: No one in TUSD is held accountable for water and utilities costs; not the Superintendent, not central administrators; not the school principals.
Let’s start with water costs.
Last year Rincon High School spent $87,000 watering grass around the school. Most of the grass isn’t used by the students. It’s just landscaping inappropriate for our desert. Tucson High School has very little grass. But the school managed to spend $61,000 watering three acres. Here’s the shocking truth: The District spends more money watering grass than purchasing books.
The schools do need enough water for appropriate landscaping, no more, no less. Who can help decide how much? Tucson Water can do monthly water budgets. Why doesn’t the District ask them to? TUSD should be first in line in January for Tucson Water’s revised incentives for large irrigators.
Let’s talk about electricity.
The average kilowatt hour cost across the District is 11 cents. Every penny per kwh saved by going solar adds $1 million/year in savings, but immediate savings would accrue by simply reducing electricity use. Here’s an example: Turn off the lights. Turn off the computers when not in use. The technology department requires that all the computers in the District be left on 365 days/year, 24 hours/day, to “download fixes”. A little planning could save a lot of money.
The Mayor and City Council need to weigh in on keeping schools open. Neighborhood schools are a significant issue for 75% of home buyers (per National Association of Realtors). On the other hand, abandoned schools are a blight on a neighborhood , depressing home prices, which in turn lowers the tax base for the city.
By Lillian Fox, Betts-Putnam-Hidalgo, Sheila Tobias. Lillian Fox is a retired TUSD teacher, Betts Putnam-Hidalgo was a 2012 candidate for school board and is a TUSD parent. Sheila Tobias writes about education issues locally and nationally.