Oscar winner speaks to fine arts students
By JEFF LAMPE
Weekly Post Staff Writer
WILLIAMSFIELD – It’s been a cool week for the Williamsfield Schools.
First came a late January visit by Academy Award winner Tami Lane, a Peoria native who spoke to Williamsfield fine arts students and brought with her an Oscar they could hold.
Then came Monday’s decision by the Williamsfield School Board to approved a $1.68 million HVAC project, which will bring air conditioning units to the entire school campus.
Peoria Metro Construction submitted the lowest of six bids. The other five bids were for $1.749 million all the way up to more than $1.939 million.
Currently, Superintendent Tim Farquer estimated that nearly 50 percent of the school’s space is not air conditioned. While there are window units in classrooms, the gym, hallways and commons areas are not serviced by air conditioning.
Cooling wasn’t the main reason for the expense, though. Farquer said Williamsfield’s boiler had exceeded its life expectancy and needed to be replaced. Since the school was switching to new, rooftop heating units, Farquer said, “HVAC folks tell us it is just as economical to have cooling with it” in regards to purchasing the units.
While running AC units is expected to increase electrical bills, Farquer noted that the school’s solar project will cut the school’s cost per kilowatt in half.
On another subject pertaining to alternate energy, Farquer updated the board on a proposal to bring electric buses to Williamsfield, the Hollis School District and Pekin with grant money from a settlement with the owners of the Edwards Power Plant. While Farquer said the proposal is “receiving strong consideration” he added that his “gut” feeling is that schools closer to the Edwards Power Plant will receive funding and Williamsfield might be excluded.
“I understand that too. They are trying to keep the money as close to the people who have been harmed over the decades by the plant,” Farquer said.
Earlier, Farmington, Elmwood, Princeville and Dunlap schools were removed from the grant application because of their location. Williamsfield remained part of the process, apparently because Farquer wrote the application.
Grant announcements had been expected on Tuesday but were moved back a week, according to Farquer.
