Wind Farm Could Pump Big Bucks Into Local Schools
Wind Farm Could Pump Big Bucks Into Local Schools Save Email Print
Reporter: By Megan Fleetwood
Email Address: megan.fleetwood@kwtx.com
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(June 27, 2008)- Rosebud-Lott school board member Charles Ellison says his school district along with the others in Falls County is among the poorest in the state and the reason, he says, is the lack of taxable commercial property in the mostly rural area.

But the Falls County Commissioners Court is looking at a measure that could mean tens of thousands of dollars in new revenue for the county’s schools.

It's a potential agreement to turn land in West Texas owned by the county's schoolchildren into a wind energy farm.

Commissioners say every county in Texas was given a land grant by the state in the first part of the 20th century.

The land belonged to the schoolchildren of each county and commissioners were designated as property administrators.

Falls County is one of the few counties in Texas whose schools haven’t sold off that land.

Right now, the land Falls County owns brings in a little more than $230,000 a year in leases for oil and natural gas drilling, ranching and hunting leases.

The proceeds from the mineral rights go to the county's vocational school for classes that students can take in various subjects, some for college credit and pays the salaries for various district diagnosticians for school children needing special resources because of physical or mental handicaps.

Another $120,000 from ranching and hunting contracts is divided up each year based on enrollment between the Bremond, Chilton, Lorena, Marlin, Mart, Riesel, Rosebud-Lott, and Wesphalia school districts.

Now Falls County is considering a new agreement with a wind power co-op that would mean $10,000 per windmill erected on the more than 7,000 acres of land Falls County owns in Archer County.

Commissioners want to determine whether such a deal would violate any of the existing leases the county has.

They say the next step will be to seek more information about the potential project, and to arrange for legal counsel for any new agreements.
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Posted by: LN Location: Robinson on Jun 28, 2008 at 05:25 PM
They need to do this. Texas is a leader in wind power now anyway. If you drive to the Abilene/Snyder/Post area you will see hundreds and hundreds of windmills, maybe thousands, with more going up everyday. With the wind they have out there along the caprock this is a no brainer. Nothing else out there but desert scrub and oil.
Posted by: Frank Location: Kempner on Jun 28, 2008 at 12:35 PM
This a smart idea. I would like to see more of these go in use in Texas. I have seen these windmills used near Laural Mountain state park in Pennsylvania. Its a win-win situation and it does not hurt the environment or wildlife.
Posted by: Lory on Jun 28, 2008 at 11:21 AM
I don't know much about school districts or wind energy, but this sounds like a decent plan....schools get much needed financial resources while environmentally friendly energy is produced!! Seems like a win-win.
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