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Farmington school undergoing large solar installation

A central Illinois rural school will soon have one of the largest solar installations in the state compared to other learning institutions. Farmington Community Unit School District 265 Monday began construction on a $1.9 million dollar solar panel project.

About 26-hundred panels will line the pre-k through 12th grade facility’s roof by December. The project could save the school district up to 70-thousand dollars a year in energy costs.

Superintendent John Asplund says the solar project will also be incorporated into educational curriculum for all students.

“The students here will get a long benefit from Kindergarten through 12th grade of what this type of energy can do, and the types of careers that can be generated from this and different science and math applications and so that’s really the most exciting part for us,” said Asplund.

The school district received a more than $ 1.1 million dollar grant from the Illinois Clean Energy Foundation for the project.