BY JIMMY LAWTONNorth Country This Week

OGDENSBURG — School officials are seeking voter support for a $5 million project aimed at reducing the district’s carbon footprint by 49% and significantly cutting energy expenses.

While voter approval is not legally required for the project to proceed, officials say the district could save about $500,000 if the community supports the initiative.

District residents will vote on the proposal Oct. 21 from noon to 9 p.m. in the main lobby of Ogdensburg Free Academy.

The plan is to use projected energy cost savings to pay for the renovations necessary to generate those savings. The Ogdensburg City School District will bond for up to $5 million to fund the project, which is expected to save the district $3.5 million over the next 18 years — an estimated 29% reduction in energy spending.

To protect taxpayers, the district plans to contract with Day Automation Systems, which projected annual savings of $280,000. The company will be contractually obligated to cover any shortfall if actual savings fall below that estimate. The contract will span 18 years.

“Our district is embarking on an Energy Performance Contract (EPC) project, a funding method used by many school districts across New York state,” Superintendent Kevin Kendall said in a video posted on the district’s website. “This initiative allows us to implement energy-saving upgrades such as LED lighting, modern heating and cooling systems, and other efficiency improvements — without any financial risk to the district.”

“Here’s how it works: Engineers estimate how much energy our schools will save over the next 18 years, and those savings are certified by the New York State Education Department. The guaranteed savings are then used to pay for the upgrades. Even better, the entire project qualifies for New York State building aid,” Kendall said.

Although the initiative is not subject to mandatory voter approval, a positive vote from the community would increase state aid and save the district more than $500,000. It would also qualify the school for approximately $105,000 in incentives from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA).

Kendall said the district is set to receive 88.2% reimbursement for the project by default. However, with voter approval, that figure would rise by an additional 10 percentage points, bringing total reimbursement to 98.2%.