Elizabeth Bailey
Greensburg Daily News
Greensburg —
Decatur County Community Schools was presented with a pair of awards from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) during the boardÕs regular monthly meeting on Wednesday.
David Glessner of Energy Education, a company with which the district has partnered for 21 months in an effort to increase efficiency and cut energy costs, noted that he and Erin Jones of the Federal EPA had come to celebrate the success of the local program.
"This is something we have not experienced as a company before," he said. "The school corporation as a whole has done some really terrific work."
The district has reduced its energy consumption by 51 percent, he explained, which is very unusual. Energy Education worked to make sure the numbers were valid and accurate, Glessner explained, and found that they were. As a byproduct of reducing its energy consumption, the corporation has saved approximately $650,000. If these funds had been spent on energy costs, Superintendent Dr. Dan Roach explained, staff reductions would have been significantly deeper. As a result of its achievement, Energy Education presented the corporation with the Pacemaker Award for their environmental and economic savings.
Jones noted that efficiency is a great way to approach the global climate change challenge. In addition, by taking steps to reduce consumption, the corporation has been able to ensure that more money is available for classroom instruction, she said. The corporation's efficiency initiatives earned it two Energy Star Leader awards. The Top Performer award recognizes that the corporation is in the top 25 percent of districts for energy savings, with a rating of 95. This means, Jones explained, that the corporation is more efficient than 95 percent of their peers. The second award she presented was the first of its kind, the 50 percent Energy Star Leader award. Each of the corporation's four buildings will soon carry the prestigious Energy Star symbol, recognized by 75 percent of Americans, she said.
"It not only represents appliances that are energy efficient, but buildings and school districts, too," Jones noted.
Board president Chris Owens recognized Energy Education coordinator Don Lewellen for his hard work in implementing the program, also noting that it required participation of all of the corporation's staff.
"It's a joint effort, and we appreciate each and everything you do," he said.
