Franklin BOE Approves Financing Contract for New LED Lighting System

The Franklin County Board of Education has voted to approve the financing contract for the school LED lighting project.

In February, Georgia Power Representative Nathan Bartlett spoke to the Board of Education and School Superintendent Chris Forrer on the benefits of replacing the current tube lighting in the schools and administrative office with LED lights.

At that meeting Bartlett noted not only are the LED lights more cost-effective, they also come with more features, such as automatic dimming and motion detectors.

The total cost to replace all of the lighting in every school except Royston Elementary is just over $2.1 million dollars.

The Board also added a second project to replace the lighting in the football stadium, the wrestling barn, the Ag barn, and ball fields at a cost of another $121,760.

Those costs, according to Georgia Power would be paid for with the money the school system saves from the LED lights over a 10-year period, meaning no upfront costs and nothing added to the school budget, and at no extra cost to the taxpayer.

However, in order to get the new LED lighting installed as quickly as possible, the School Board sought to forward fund the project and found financing through BCI of Miami.

With interest rates expected to go up a quarter percent in April, the School Board held a quick called session Tuesday and voted to approve both financing contracts with BCI at the current interest rate of 2.4%.

At that rate, the school system is expected to save around $240-thousand dollars, Assistant School Superintendent Chuck Colquitt told WLHR News Tuesday.

Colquitt said Georgia Power crews have already started installing the new LED lighting system and so far, Lavonia and Carnesville Elementary schools have been completed.

Crews are now installing the LED lighting in the Middle and High schools.

Royston Elementary will not get the new LED lighting because the Board is still planning to either completely renovate the existing building or build an entirely new school in another location.

That plan, in the works for several years, is still on the drawing board and being discussed by the School Board. So far, no decision has been made.