Replacement of School's Interior Lighting to Be Completed by Posen

Posen has been selected to put the finishing touches on a lighting project for Posen Consolidated Schools, with the school agreeing to purchase around $4,000 worth of LED light bulbs. The installation of these bulbs will finally complete the replacement of the building’s interior lighting, with more energy efficient lights. John Palmer, the superintendent of the district said the original order for the project miscounted the number of bulbs needed. The board also approved buying $2,000 worth of new emergency lighting, and Palmer will verify these lights meet fire safety standards. Their cost could be largely offset when the district returns some light covers.

Palmer said he expects the district could get another $775 energy efficiency rebate from the district's energy supplier, Presque Isle Gas & Electric Cooperative. In November, the board approved the $105,341 project which will allow for the replacement of lights that took the T-12 fluorescent bulb, a variety that is no longer being manufactured. In exchange for choosing to use the more energy-efficient bulbs, PIE&G gave the district a $13,209 rebate. The difference was noticeable in the high school library Monday evening. Jaden Styma, a member of the student council remarked on the changes as well, noting the difference in some classrooms is very noticeable. Finally, the district will receive new emergency exit lights to be installed over each doorway, Palmer said, provided board member Jesse Chappa's concerns are answered. The lights would replace the backup lighting throughout the hall, and Chappa wondered if this would be enough to meet building codes and fire safety regulations.  However, finalizing the overall lighting project was just one of a handful of issues the school board handled at its first meeting of the year.