Phoenixville Green Team Calls For Clean Energy At New School

PHOENIXVILLE, PA —Members of the Phoenixville Green Team pleaded with the Phoenixville Area School Board Monday night to ensure that a new elementary school is built with 100 percent clean and renewable energy.

The district is in the process of constructing a fourth elementary school on Hares Hill Road, East Pikeland Township.

The elementary school is being constructed to alleviate overcrowding in the middle school and support a projected increase in enrollment due to development in the district.

The district consists of the borough of Phoenixville and East Pikeland and Schuylkill townships.

Construction of the new school is expected to begin in the fall and be completed by the 2025 school year.

Members of the Phoenixville Green Team asked the school board to encourage the district to work with contractors to obtain an energy-efficient design, noting the proposed design is not 100 percent clean energy.

Phoenixville Green Team is a group of volunteers in the Phoenixville area who promote the preservation of the environment.

Jane S. Dugdale, a team member, said the current design has room for improvement.

As an example said that she said, artificial turf is not acceptable for the playing fields, nothing that recent reports said the artificial turf at Veteran's Stadium may be linked to cancer deaths of players.

Mark Connelly, team treasurer, said that the most important issues are energy efficiency, all-electric facilities, renewable energy powers, and the lowest possible greenhouse emissions.

Scott Overland, board president, said no decisions for the building have been finalized noting the district asked for all electric and renewable energy options.

“Sustainability is important to me and many of the board members,” Overland said.

Dr. Alan Fegley, superintendent, said the Green Team has been invited to participate in all of the meetings regarding the new elementary school.

“I hope you will be active at our upcoming building meetings,” Fegley said to the group.

Fegley said that 61 percent of all electricity across the nation is done by coal and gas.

The superintendent said a building could be powered by solar panels.