The business Ideal Impact of Grapevine will help eliminate the waste of energy as a part of a plan in the Alba-Golden School District, starting right after the Christmas holidays.

The Alba-Golden School Board unanimously approved a four-year contract with Ideal Impact from Grapevine at the regular monthly meeting of the board last Monday, Dec. 12.

The project will cost the district $174,130 in initial expenses for the four-year deal. However, a minimum of $199,000 is anticipated to be saved on utility bills during that time. If the program is well received by staff and utilized properly the savings are anticipated to be around $61,000 per year. Should the program be vigorously embraced, the maximum could be $74,000 per year, or a total of $244,000 over the four years.

Ideal Impact is guaranteeing the program will save at least as much as the $174,130 initial outlay over the next four years. If it does not meet or beat that total, Ideal Impact will refund the difference to the district.

After a 45-minute executive session at the end of the regular posted agenda the trustees came back into open session to accept the resignation of Agriculture instructor Robert Reynolds and approve the employment of Ron Davis as a part-time aide for the Agricultural Department. Reynolds is leaving to accept a new position and Davis will fill in to keep the department going until a replacement can be hired.

Brittany Eldred, the district’s new special education instructor, reported on the progress of that department along with proposed plans for changes for the next school year.

Eldred said that in an era when the goal is to move all special education students back into the regular classroom, A-G had 29 students come to the resource room at the start of the school year. So far, she reported, four students have transitioned back to the regular classroom and four more, two juniors and two seniors, graduated from high school on Friday.

Receiving special attention from the board were students Kirby Kleam and Colt Vaughn. Kirby was selected as the Elementary Student of the Month and Vaughn was picked as the Secondary Student of the Month.

The annual financial audit of the A-G ISD was presented by Amanda Collins from the Greenville accounting firm Rutherford Taylor and Company. She reported that the district was in sound financial condition with books well in order. Also noted was the fact that the district increased fund balances by $1 million during the 2016 fiscal year and that all departments held expenditures under budget during that period.

The annual update of the District’s Campus Improvement Plan was also approved.

Two board members, Joey Hooton and Ed Teel, were not present for Monday night’s meeting.