Gresham-Barlow School District Honored by EPA

The Gresham-Barlow School District is being honored by the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

The EPA has named them a 2016 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year for their work in energy efficiency.

"The Gresham-Barlow School District truly values our partnership with ENERGY STAR," said Superintendent Jim Schlachter.

"It's exciting to see the impact we've made through our energy conservation culture and we remain committed to continuing our work to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect the environment."

The school district provided the following list of accomplishments as the reason for the award:

• Recertifying all 18 of the school buildings that were eligible to receive ENERGY STAR certification.
• Saving more than $1.4 million in its most recent 12-month performance period, for a total of more than $14.5 million saved since first implementing its multifaceted energy management approach in 2004.
• Earning recognition from EPA for achieving an average 1–100 ENERGY STAR score of 96 across the district’s portfolio of buildings in 2015, with the average ENERGY STAR score staying above 90 for more than five years.
• Implementing a “Shutdown with ENERGY STAR” plan and school checklist, which is used to make sure all facilities are shut down properly during long weekends and breaks.
• Involving maintenance staff, teachers, principals, students, parents, and the community in energy management efforts, and mobilizing the entire district’s staff and faculty to prepare each school for energy conservation during summer break.