How One District’s Energy Savings Paid for Higher Teacher Salaries

Five years ago, Arkansas’ Batesville School District had some of the lowest teacher salaries of the five districts in its county. But legislation passed by the state in 2019 that enabled nonprofits to receive the net metering of the energy they produce as a profit changed all of that. The district is working toward a goal of becoming net zero, effectively paying nothing for its utilities. That savings has enabled the district to bring teachers salaries up to the highest of the districts in the county. At the same time, Batesville has taken the opportunity to incorporate lessons on the science of solar, and visits to its solar array, into its curriculum.