JAMES CITY -- Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools may add a $1.3 million geothermal heating and cooling system back into the plans for the third high school, after the Board of Supervisors suggested looking into it at their Tuesday meeting.

Though the $1.3 million cost would be in addition to the $51.4 million W-JCC now projects the third high school to cost, the energy-efficient system could pay for itself within 10 years, according to a report by Moseley Architects.

"Together, we would like to build the best environment, as energy efficient and sustainable as it can be, for our students to learn in," said Bob Becker, W-JCC assistant superintendent of operations. "But sometimes the financial picture doesn't allow for us to do that. We'll try to do our best to ensure it happens."

Originally, the W-JCC School Board approved a budget that earmarked $500,000 for sustainable features to possibly pursue certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. That money never materialized, said Scott Burckbuchler, W-JCC chief financial officer, and the geothermal heating system was cut from the design.

"We'll certainly be looking to the county and hopefully the city in terms of funding additional costs with a geothermal system," said Burckbuchler, emphasizing the future cost savings with this system. "As utility costs increase, the payback period could be shorter."

York County already has geothermal heating systems in four schools - Bruton High School, Queen's Lake Middle, Seaford Elementary and Tabb Middle School - and geothermal wells will be dug at York High School, currently under renovation.

"There's nothing to maintain except for the heat pumps," said Jim Wilkins, York's director of school facilities and maintenance. "There's no boiler or cooling tower to maintain."

Geothermal systems use the earth's temperature to warm buildings in the winter and to transfer heat out of the buildings in the summer. These energy saving systems could save York County Schools 15 to 30 percent in heating costs, according to Richard Hixson, York's deputy superintendent for operations.

With rising fuel costs, the payback period to make up the cost of installing a geothermal system is shrinking, said Hixson. Typically the payback period is eight years, he said, "But the higher the costs of energy, the faster our savings kick in."

The W-JCC School Board plans to vote on awarding the construction contract for the third high school at its meeting on Tuesday.

"The most important thing is that the contract for the construction of the third high school must be signed on a timely basis," said Michael Brown, chair of the JCC Board of Supervisors. "But in the long term, if a geothermal system could reduce the annual operating budget of the schools, that is in fact saving tax-payer money. I'm naturally interested."

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