The Knoxville Community School District has been honored with the 2019 Best Development Award from 1000 Friends of Iowa. The Best Development Award recognizes the school district’s solar project, which features solar arrays installed on the roofs of the district’s central office building, Northstar Elementary, West Elementary, Knoxville High School and the district maintenance building, as well as the football stadium, softball field, baseball field and track facility. There’s also a ground-mounted system with 414 solar arrays near Knoxville Middle School. The district partnered with Red Lion Renewables on the project, which comes at no cost to the school district. It’s expected to save the district up to $1 million in utility costs over the next three decades. Superintendent Cassi Pearson tells KNIA/KRLS News the district continues to try to make the future better for the district, the community and the students. Pearson says the district understand that technology is changing rapidly and they do not want to make change just to make change but rather to make changes to truly benefit the students in Knoxville. She says the district will continue to find innovative ways to incorporate technological changes with learning opportunities for students. 

1000 Friends of Iowa is a Des Moines-based nonprofit organization that promotes responsible land use and sustainability in community, state and federal development decisions.The Best Development Awards ceremony will take place on Tuesday, January 21, 2020, at the Iowa State Capitol Rotunda.