Snowflake School District Business Manager Mark Ollerton asked the district governing board last week to approve an RFP (request for proposals) to find a company that will do an energy audit and then give them a proposal.

The board previously asked Ollerton to research the availability of using performance contracts to evaluate the utilities, do an energy audit and then give the district a proposal.

Ollerton was requesting an RFP rather than going through the bid process, explaining that with the bid process they would be required to take the low bid and with an RFP, they could select a vendor, “that we can bring in and do an energy audit and know that nothing is binding,” he explained.

The district spends approximately $1.50 per square foot on utilities. Representatives of two companies have approached staff, noting that the cost could possibly be reduced to $1 per square foot.

“We’re asking to get a company to look at it,” said Superintendent Hollis Merrell. “There will be no binding money with this motion. They will do a preliminary audit to come up with numbers and then we will have a contract.”

Merrell noted that the contract would state that payment be made from the savings on utilities or they would not move forward with the project.

“My fear is how long it will take. I worry that 10 years down the road it might change a lot,” said board member Jonni Lewis. She was concerned because going green is in and stated, “I don’t know if we should jump on the band wagon.”

“If they don’t save us any money, we don’t pay anything,” said Board President Shea Flake.

“We’re watching and learning from schools who have already done this,” Merrell commented.

A motion to approve using the RFP process to select a vendor to do an energy audit passed unanimously.

In other action Oct. 15, the board:

* Unanimously approved the Declaration of Curricular and Instructional Alignment to the Arizona Academic Standards, as required by the Arizona Department of Education.

“After implementing Beyond Textbooks, it’s easy to say our teachers are implementing the Arizona Academic Standards,” said Merrell.

* Unanimously approved out-of-state travel for Starlena Begay and the Indian Education Committee, which it was noted was one person, to attend the National Johnson O’Malley (JOM) Association Conference scheduled Oct. 15-19 in Tulsa, Okla.

“They can learn a lot of things there that they can bring back to our school and our students,” said Merrell. It was noted that IEC members are responsible for most of their fees, and one person will use JOM grant monies allocated especially for these conferences and workshops.

* Received a presentation by Ollerton on the district’s annual financial report, which is available on the district website at www.snowflake.k12.az.us/.