Carson City schools’ sustainability efforts honored

In acknowledgement of the Carson City School District’s sustainability achievements, the Northern Nevada Development Authority provided a special recognition of excellence for sustainability practices during its monthly “The Business Edge” meeting at the Carson Nugget Casino on Oct. 24.

A plaque for the award was accepted by Andrew Feuling, director of fiscal services, for the Carson City School District. NNDA also presented Mark Korinek, director of operations for the district, with a plaque acknowledging his specific efforts spearheading most of the work and as being recognized around Northern Nevada as a leader in green initiatives.

“We tend to only recognize how companies are incorporating sustainability practices into their business model,” NNDA President and CEO Rob Hooper said. “Other types of entities are doing the same, and we have been impressed with the sustainability accomplishments the Carson City School District has achieved.”

Earlier this year, nine of the 10 Carson City schools earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star certification. The certification signifies these buildings perform in the top 25 percent of similar facilities nationwide for energy efficiency and meets strict energy efficiency performance levels set by the EPA. When construction at the 10th school is completed, the district expects it will also receive the Energy Star certification.

Part of the Carson City School District’s strategic plan includes 1) providing opportunities through community partnerships and district resources for students to learn about environmentally friendly actions and sustainable practices to share with their families, community, environment and future employers; 2) directing the district to engage in and encourage sustainable practices in its operations and communicating these efforts to students, their families and all stakeholders; and 3) empowering students to achieve a lifestyle that’s physically and emotionally healthy and socially responsible.

The district is considered the most energy efficient in Nevada, on a utility cost per student basis. Before their last round of energy savings projects, its Energy Use Intensity, or EUI was 44.7. Other K-12 school districts in Nevada average around 60 EUI.

By utilizing district resources to model sustainability goals and provide cost savings, the district has become a stage for students to benefit from sustainability, to learn about it first hand, and then take their knowledge and skills to benefit the employers (or become the employers) of Northern Nevada.