Saco Schools

For the residents of Saco, a small coastal town in Maine, a new school building is long overdue. The “temporary” classrooms first installed in 2004 have long overstayed their welcome. A new school complex is slated to break ground later this year. Local taxpayers and state funding will cover the vast majority of the cost, but the community is also counting on $1M in energy tax credits for the installation of a ground-source heat pump system. 

Superintendent Jeremy Ray knows firsthand the value of this new HVAC system that will provide highly efficient heating and cooling. It was 96 degrees in his daughter’s classroom. It’s no wonder that cooling was a non-negotiable for the community. But tight budgets are also a reality. The ground-source heat pump system paired with a solar energy system is expected to generate $300,000 in annual operating cost savings. That’s enough to cover the salary of several educators. 

From left to right: Chris Howell, Superintendent of Windham-Raymond School District, Jeremy Ray, Superintendent of Saco Schools, Kevin Roche, Saco Board member.

In late March, Superintendent Ray, Saco school board member, Kevin Roche, and Superintendent Chris Howell from Windham-Raymond School District joined education leaders from across the county to meet with Congressional leaders on Capitol Hill about the need to preserve energy tax credits for current and future school infrastructure projects. Policy stability is key to schools’ ability to make use of energy tax credits.

To learn more about the role of energy tax credits in Saco and in other school construction projects across the country, see our growing set of case studies. 

Get in touch with us or visit our Elective Pay Action Center to learn more about what school leaders, advocates, state leaders and media partners can do to elevate the importance of energy tax credits for advancing healthy, resilient, cost-effective school infrastructure.