Gas Prices Bubble Up, School System Is Fed Up

After suffering through a winter of sky-high natural gas prices, a Pennsylvania school system has decided to drill for its own.

The school board in Penn Hills, 10 miles from downtown Pittsburgh, has struck a deal with Penneco Oil Co. to sink as many as 10 natural gas wells under the district’s eight schools.

The school system would get 12.5% royalties plus a fixed share of the gas--not enough to supply all of its energy needs but enough to cut heating costs in half and delay a tax increase, officials said.

Officials hope to have the first well producing as early as next month.