St. Lawrence and Jefferson county school districts are asking for state help with their energy costs. That’s in response to dramatically higher bills.
Travis Hoover is the Superintendent of LaFargeville Central School District. He told WWNYTV that the district’s utility bill more than doubled from January to February of this year.
“We’ve already expended what we budgeted for this year for electricity, and we know that’s going to keep going so we’re going to be pulling it out of reserves to make sure those costs are met.”
Other school districts report similar hikes.
Sixteen superintendents signed on to a letter addressed to Governor Kathy Hochul and the state legislature. It calls for energy price regulation and creating an emergency fund for schools struggling with energy costs.
Superintendent Jennifer Gaffney of Sackets Harbor Central School District helped write the letter. She said the purpose of the letter is “advocating for an approach to assist public schools to ensure that we are not diverting resources from children to pay our electric bill.”
Superintendent Hoover says without state help, local taxpayers will have to pick up the tab for higher energy bills.
