How One School Flipped a $250,000 Deficit Into a $1.8M Surplus..... With Solar Panels
What if the biggest change to your budget wasn’t found in your payroll, grant cycle, or fundraising calendar… but in your electric meter?
At first glance
It looks like any other public school. A parking lot. A few picnic benches. Rows of brick buildings behind a long covered walkway. But this school, in a small Arkansas district, holds a secret: it turned a six-figure budget shortfall into a multi-million-dollar surplus. And it did it without cutting staff, increasing class sizes, or chasing more funding.
They just stopped renting their electricity.
The Problem: Rising Costs, Stretched Budgets
The school district had been running a $250,000 annual deficit… the kind that forces tough decisions. Teachers were underpaid. Maintenance was deferred. Energy costs kept climbing, and the utility bills kept draining the budget each year.
For years, the district tried to manage the shortfall with small adjustments. But then someone asked the right question:
What if the solution wasn’t inside the building?
The Solution: Turning Rented Energy to Equity
After looking at their budget the staff discovered where they were leaking money,
As a result, the district installed 1,400 solar panels across its campus with many as carport covers over existing parking lots. The panels didn’t just produce clean electricity. The impact was clear, they replaced the school’s electric bill with a revenue stream.
Here’s what happened next:
- The $250k deficit was eliminated in under 3 years
- Energy costs dropped by over 60%
- Teacher salaries were increased with some being $15,000 more per year
- A new renewable energy curriculum was introduced
- The district’s reputation and enrollment both improved
They didn’t just cut waste. They took back control.
The Bigger Picture: You’re Already Paying the Utility Company
Schools, libraries, city buildings, and nonprofits across the country are stuck in the same cycle: rising utility costs, limited budgets, and tough tradeoffs.
But here’s the truth most public leaders don’t hear often enough:
“You don’t have to keep bleeding budget to the grid.
You can own your power and reinvest the savings.”
This Isn’t Just a Story. It’s Happening Right Now in Illinois.
If your non-profit or public facility is in Illinois, there’s a state program that makes this kind of transformation possible. It’s called Illinois Solar for All (ILSFA) and it is providing access to solar programs in Environmental Justice Communities.
ILSFA helps public facilities and nonprofits in income-eligible or environmental justice communities access solar energy with no or low upfront costs. That includes schools, community centers, firehouses, libraries, churches, and more.
And yes, there are guaranteed savings built into the program.
You stay focused on your mission. The system pays for itself.
Collinsville Township
Earlier this year, Collinsville Township partnered with ARC to install a solar system on their senior center and administrative offices at no upfront cost to the township.
The system was made possible through the Illinois Solar for All program.
Now? They’re saving over $2,000 per month on electricity.
That’s $24,000 a year going back into the township’s services, not into the grid and that’s just year one. These are funds they can now allocate for various other projects, saving their taxpayers money.
Let's Talk About What's Possible
Whether you run a school, church, fire station, or nonprofit building, you may be eligible for the same support. If your facility is in an income-eligible or environmental justice community, the Illinois Solar for All (ILSFA) program could cover your installation and comes with guaranteed savings and no financial burden to get started.
You’ll still receive reliable power. You’ll just start paying a lot less for it.
And in the process, you free up budget to do what matters most in your community.
