FORT PIERRE - The Stanley County School Board has decided to apply to be a Wind for Schools program host. If the district takes part in the six-state program, a small wind turbine would be built and provide 1.8 kilowatts of power.

If the district is chosen, the windmill will be built near the Cheyenne rural school, about 50 miles northwest of Fort Pierre, said Sonny Harrowa, school board president.

Gary Hanson, state Public Utilities Commission chairman, said there would be marginal savings in energy costs but that the program's real gift would be the learning opportunities for the students and the community.

It would ignite discussions of wind energy's benefits and the planning of renewable energy projects, according to a summary from the Wind for Schools program. The 70-foot windmill would offer students a hands-on illustration of the science and mathematics involved in everyday life, the summary said.

"The main purpose of the Wind for Schools program is to help create an interest in engineering and other professional occupations," Hanson said.

South Dakota State University and the PUC would cover half of the $7,000 cost of the turbine, and the school's half might come from West Central Electric, said John Duffy, a school board member.

Applications are due Tuesday. Five schools could be selected by Feb. 15, Hanson said.

Wind for Schools selected Stanley County as a candidate because of the district's size, location and proven wind resources. Fewer than a dozen schools in the state were picked as candidates.

"I think it would be an interesting project that kids could learn a lot from," Harrowa said. "It's really something they would be interested in."

Duffy said it would be a good way for students to see how wind is turned into electricity.

"Historically, we've gotten quite a bit out of the wind. We went away from it for a while and now we're going back to it," he said.