‘Less savings’ without federal tax credits

The 2022 Inflation Reduction Act allowed tax-exempt entities, like local governments and schools, to utilize clean energy tax credits for the first time. These credits offer reimbursement payments to schools that cover 30% or more of the costs of a solar project.

The Upper Darby School District expected these federal tax credits to cover over $2 million of the total $9 million cost of its six solar projects.

But the timelines set out in the House bill would likely be difficult, if not impossible for the district to meet, because the district needs to vet and choose contractors, get approval from the school board, acquire supplies through the contractors and wait until schools are closed during the summer to begin construction, officials said. Districts also need approval from utilities to connect the projects to the local grid.

The soonest the Upper Darby School District could start to build its solar projects would be next summer, officials said.

Without the federal tax credits, the solar projects would eat up most of the district’s yearly capital budget at a time when federal funding for operational costs is uncertain, McGarry said. This could mean sacrificing crucial facilities projects, such as replacing windows, renovating old bathrooms and upgrading security systems, he said.

“We can’t afford to do that,” McGarry said.

The Upper Darby School District is not alone. The William Penn School District would not be able to complete a Solar for Schools project planned for Park Lane Elementary School without the federal tax credit, said district Chief of Operations Darnell Deans.

“As our district is under-resourced and we are still advocating for our appropriate level of funding, our district will not be able to proceed with this project without the tax credit,” Deans wrote in an email.

Pennsylvania state Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler, who sponsored the Solar for Schools legislation, said she’s confident the projects will still save schools money, even if the schools are not able to use the federal tax credits.

“Obviously, if the federal IRA incentives for renewable energy are cut, that would mean less savings for schools,” she wrote in a statement.

When awarding the state grants, the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development believed the schools could complete the projects without the federal tax credits, said spokesperson Justin Backover.

Still, Shannon Crooker, Pennsylvania director at the nonprofit renewable energy advocacy organization Generation180, worries these slimmer savings would force many districts to abandon the projects.

“We’re at risk of losing a lot of great investment,” she said.

PENNSYLVANIA – It appears Florida’s “Gottahava Wawa” more than the Delaware Valley these days!

By the numbers:

Wawa has 1,121 locations in 12 states, along with the District of Columbia, according to data released by ScrapeHero.

It seems like the local staple keeps popping up on every corner, with 293 stores in New Jersey, another 263 in Pennsylvania, and just 50 in Delaware.

However, Florida now boasts the highest number with a whopping 304 locations, which is 27 percent of all Wawa stores in the U.S.

Has the “Sunshine State” officially taken over as the new “Wawa Capital?”

The backstory:

The first Wawa Food Market opened in Folsom, Pennsylvania, in 1969, followed by stores in Delaware and New Jersey by 1969.

It became a convenience store staple, supplying everything from hoagies and coffee to gas across the entire Delaware Valley.

Florida didn’t get its first location until 2012, but Wawa has been expanding across the state ever since.

In May, Gwynedd Mercy University said it would partner with Bucks County Community College and BCIU to create the state’s first undergraduate apprenticeship program, with a focus on special education. This grant will help fund the program, said Deborah Schadler, coordinator of undergraduate education at Gwynedd Mercy.

Chester County Intermediate Unit 24 ($600,000): It will expand its post-baccalaureate special education apprenticeship program in high-need districts. The grant will also allow the Intermediate Unit to provide certification and mentorship programs to student teachers.

Esperanza Academy Charter School in Philadelphia ($400,000): The grant will be used by a partnership between Esperanza Academy and Eastern University to help paraprofessionals earn Bachelor of Science degrees in special education and acquire teacher certifications.

In the 2023-24 school year, the state Department of Education said it issued more than 6,600 teachers’ certificates, about 100 more than the previous school year. Still, about 5,500 teaching vacancies remain in Pennsylvania.

Why teaching shortages?

The teacher shortage is fueled by low pay and difficult working conditions, education advocates say, along with more teachers leaving the profession. The statewide attrition rate is about 7%.

Laura Boyce, executive director of Teach Plus, a nonprofit group, said the apprenticeship model for teachers is becoming increasingly popular nationwide.

In a related matter Monday, Pennsylvania Department of Human Services Secretary Dr. Val Arkoosh highlighted Gov. Shapiro’s 2025-26 budget proposal for a $55 million investment to give $1,000 retention and recruitment bonuses to eligible childcare providers in the state’s Child Care Works Program.

The state estimates that there are 3,000 childcare worker vacancies statewide. More than 300,000 children in Pennsylvania participate in the state’s childcare system.

“An early childhood education experience can shape the educational, social and emotional development of our youngest Pennsylvanians, providing a foundation that will reap benefits throughout their lives,” said Arkoosh in a visit to the Children’s Home of Pittsburgh & Lemieux Family Center on Monday.