A new report by LFA and Grunwald Associates, with support from AT&T, examines how parents perceive the value of mobile devices, how they see their children using mobiles, and what they think of the possibilities for mobile learning.
Energy Stars
Story posted August 18, 2010. For additional information and updated results, read the Learning First Alliance interview with St. Tammany Parish Public School System supervisior of administration John Swang.
Results:
• As of 2009, the district had saved more than 4.4 million dollars in energy costs and eliminated emissions of more than 53 million pounds of CO2
The National Center for Education Statistics reports that schools budgeted $7 billion for energy costs in 2001, but spent $8 billion. Since then, energy costs per student have been rising at more than six times the rate of inflation. In 2009, the American Association of School Administrators reported that rising energy costs are dramatically affecting district budgets nationwide, with significant negative impacts on student learning.
Over the last several years, energy costs for the St. Tammany Parish Public School System, with 54 schools and 35,000 students, have rapidly risen, creating great apprehension that important instructional and operational functions in schools would have to be reduced or eliminated. On average, the cost of energy was increasing by $400,000 per year. At the same time, administrators were asking for more money to meet the increasing expenses of educating students.
The Solution
To meet the competing demands, the St. Tammany Parish School Board developed and put into place a comprehensive energy management program. The board had two goals in mind. The first was to reduce energy usage by at least 10 percent districtwide to avoid the escalating costs for electricity, gas, water, and sewage. Second, the board planned to share these energy savings with the schools so they could be used for instructional purposes.
The district launched an awareness campaign, and the costs began to come down. Then the school system partnered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to help identify areas for further progress. As schools met their early targets, the board agreed to give the savings to the schools for instructional enhancements. New goals were set with more intensive conservation efforts, and an energy education program was begun at all grade levels.
The Board’s Involvement
The board brought together and orchestrated a district-wide lineup of partners for the program, including board members, central office administrators, maintenance department staff, custodial services staff, principals, teachers, students, parents, community members, and the Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star Program.
A key element was the creation of a departmental energy management team that works closely with program partners to compile and track energy data, identify energy savings opportunities, and oversee improvements. Other elements included the St. Tammany Parish School Board Energy Management Policy; an energy management website (http://energy.stpsb.org) with energy-savings procedures, guidelines, materials and resources; an annual energy savings goal of greater than 10 percent; the continuous tracking of energy usage and cost avoidance; monthly energy tracking feedback to all principals and site administrators; and an energy awareness curriculum (environmental science, ecology, conservation, etc.) based on state standards in science, social studies, math, and language arts.
Results
As of 2009, the Energy Management Program has helped the district’s 54 schools and 16 administrative buildings reduce energy use by 19 percent. Over the past four years, the district has reduced its overall energy consumption by 114,353,008 kBtu and eliminated emissions of more than 53 million pounds of CO2. These savings represents an avoidance of $4.4 million in energy costs. In addition, the Energy Management Program has afforded schools an increase of $20 per student for instructional purposes. This additional educational funding is accomplished without any more costs to the taxpayer. The board’s leadership in developing this program has been a win/win situation for schools and community. These funds are crucial in providing a high-quality, technology-rich education for all students, which has made the St. Tammany Parish Public School System a leader in educational excellence.
For additional information, please contact:
John Swang
Supervisor of Administration
St. Tammany Parish Public Schools
john.swang@stpsb.org
To learn more about this program, read the Learning First Alliance interview with St. Tammany Parish Public School System Supervisor of Administration John Swang.
This story was originally published in the American School Board Journal’s 2010 Magna Awards edition. For information on the Magna Award and to apply, visit http://www.asbj.com/magna.
View the story as contained in the American School Board Journal website here.
Reproduced with permission of the American School Board Journal. Copyright © 2010, National School Boards Association. All rights reserved.
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