MIDDLE POINT — One of many benefits to Lincolnview Local Schools
having windmills right in their backyard is the yearly check they
receive totaling a little over $400,000. Lincolnview received their
third installment of that money on Monday.
This time, however, the
check presentation came with a little competition in the form of a quiz
bowl competition between Lincolnview High School Quiz Bowl students
versus state and local officials.
The officials competing included
State Senator Cliff Hite, Deputy Auditor of Van Wert County Jamie
Bradford, Union Township Trustee William Dowler, and Lu Cook, Northwest
Ohio Regional Liaison for Governor John Kasich.
This installment was just the third of 20, which comes from a program called Payment in Lieu of Taxes.
The
check was presented in front of the entire Lincolnview High School
student body, who watched the state and local officials narrowly defeat
the students in an 18-question game with questions regarding renewable
energy.
Lincolnview Local Schools Superintendent Jeff Snyder
addressed the high school class at the start of the event regarding the
benefits of being a student at Lincolnview, especially during the
20-year period of receiving the money, but also the years beyond.
“This
money that we’ll get for 20 years, we’re using it now, and we’re
looking ahead, and it’s all for you,” Snyder told the students.
Dan
Litchfield, senior business developer at Iberdrola Renewables, is proud
to see how this project is benefiting Lincolnview Local Schools and the
community.
“We’ve come a long way and I’m very proud of the track
record we have with our operating project,” he said. “Lincolnview is
doing awesome things with the funding they’ve gotten. It’s not just a
toy. It’s a really cool interactive way of testing knowledge and doing
fun stuff.”
Thus far, the money has gone to such things as the new
school building, student Chromebooks and iPads, lighting in the gym and
parking lots, and wireless Internet. In addition to tangible items, the
school has been able to offer new courses in pre-engineering and
biomedical and is looking toward adding co-ops and internships for
juniors and seniors in the near future.