FORT MADISON - Fort Madison Community School district directors voted to approve a roof replacement project for a section of the high school to help pave the way to a new solar power agreement with Red Lion Renewables of Norwalk Iowa
“Unfortunately, you were paying Alliant energy, the highest rate in the state,” said Terry Dvorak, CEO and founder of Red Lion.
The high school, the central office, and the football field parking lot are going to have solar panels. Solar panel installation will not be done to the elementary due to the modern state of the facility. Red Lion couldn't make any substantial savings work at that site due to the efficiencies already in place. Dvorak said the program will save the district about $44,000 a year in energy costs.
The roof replacement project will need to be done prior to the solar panels getting installed on a south section of the high school. The solar company will have to start construction by the end of June in order to qualify for federal tax credits.
Under the agreement, Red Lion Renewables will install, own, and maintain the solar infrastructure and the district pays for the electricity under a 20-year power-purchase agreement.
The school board had its annual audit, where they found the district’s net position increased from $31.66 million to $31.84 million. The total district expenditures rose 2.51% due to higher costs in support services and instruction, including special education.
The district’s October 2024 enrollment decreased by 37.5 students. The General Revenue Fund, the schools main operating fund, dropped from $28.26M to $27.96M mainly due to federal funding decreases.
School board member, Rachella Dravis, urged the public to contact state Reps. Blaine Watkins and Matt Rinker to encourage them to vote against House File 2681, which would require special education classrooms to have cameras, which would have destabilizing financial impacts on districts statewide. Similar legislation has already been passed in Louisiana and West Virginia as of January 2026.
“It comes with, I believe, a 21 million dollar price tag (statewide) to it,” Dravis remarked about the bill’s possible expenditures.
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