Greener Schools in SPERD

With the upcoming carbon tax expected to add costs to operation, St Paul Education Regional Division (SPERD) is not worried. The movement to “greener spaces” in schools has been underway for years. School board chair, Heather Starosielski says, “For the kids and the communities, we want to be involved in the green initiative.”

Immediate changes around the school division include installation of LED lights during the renovation of F.G. Miller School’s gym in Elk Point and in the Regional High School gym retrofit. All future gym construction in the school division will include LED lights.

A long term project is SPERD’s membership in Alberta Schools Commodities Purchasing Consortium (the “CPC”) which purchases electricity generated by wind turbines located in the Provost area.  Wind energy is not reliant on a variety of sources, so is not subject to fluctuating costs.  Trustee Lorne Young says, “We invested some money and in return we get a fixed cost on our electricity which reduces surprises in our budget.” As well as financial benefits, Starosielski and Young emphasize the important community leadership role the school board is playing. Says Young, “We figure that as a school board we want to put out the message that a significant amount of electricity is green sourced. We want to lead by example.”

A green program that the board would like to be included in is a provincial government grant for solar panels on new schools. The grant was announced in mid-October for schools in the design phase, however the announcement came two weeks after the sod turning for the new Ashmont School.  The board is interested in the environmental and financial cost savings of solar panels in Ashmont, but will install them only if funding is provided. A request has been submitted to the government.

While motivated to ensure a healthy environment for students and to reduce waste, the school board is not spending frivolously. As Young explains, “We are always conscious of spending taxpayers’ money.” The board considers the upfront costs and the ongoing costs of energy, and balances the costs with the savings.  The greatest frustration, according to Starosielski, is that funding for education is provided annually, so long term budgeting has to be based on estimates that may not be in line with future grants or funding.

However, the school board has actively sought ways to keep costs under its control, with the consortium providing one solution. “We couldn’t do energy from wind without being part of a consortium of municipalities and school divisions,” says Starosielski.

Starosielski and Young express pride in SPERD’s leadership role in embracing new technologies while balancing the books, and they hope that decisions made now regarding energy acquisition and consumption will be of value in years to come.

For more information on the CPC, visit the BluEarth Renewables Inc website.