Unit 5 is gaining recognition for an initiative to make most of its buildings leaders in energy efficiency — a move that's resulted in significant cost savings.
At its monthly meeting on Wednesday, the school board heard from operations manager Tom Rockwell about the milestone: McLean County's largest school district is home to more than half of Illinois K-12 schools awarded the Energy Star rating in 2023.
To earn the rating, a building must meet strict energy performance standards established by the Environmental Protection Agency.
About half of the Unit 5 certifications resulted from energy projects that Rockwell said spared the district about $4.3 million in energy costs. Another $1 million came in the form of utility incentives, he said.
Board member Jeremy DeHaai was quick to applaud the Unit 5 operations team.
Twenty seven schools in the state got Energy Star this year — 15 of them in our district. That's amazing," he said, adding, "The $5.3 million you guys have saved the district, that's huge."
DeHaai said having a seat on the district's facilities committee for nearly three years has given him the opportunity to see the intentional way Unit 5 operations staff have tackled the issue, adding the recognition as a state leader with the Energy Star certifications is significant.
But DeHaai emphasized the cost savings was even more impressive.
Along with its two high schools — NCHS and Normal West — Unit 5 has 23 elementary schools and four junior high schools.
Last fall, the district set a goal of gaining Energy Star ratings for 80% of those facilities by June. As of January, nearly 70% have achieved that, said Rockwell.
Draft of strategic plan almost ready
Unit 5 leaders have spent the fall putting together a district-wide strategy.
The process is nearing completion, superintendent Kristen Weikle told the board.
"The strategic plan will guide our work over the next several years and really serve as that focus of what we do, and how we go about doing that," she said.
Input for the district's future came from a variety of stakeholders, including the district's middle schoolers and high school students.
The main data collection came from community engagement sessions and online surveys that were provided to a steering committee.
That group — made up of administrators, board members, parents, staff, and other community stakeholders — is in charge of crafting the document, she said.
Next month, board members will get to see a draft version. After that presentation, they'll go back for one last round of revisions and feedback, said Weikle. In March, the board will vote on whether to adopt the strategy document.
In other business, the board
- Approved about two dozen new or updated board policies and district procedures.
- Heard the district will launch a new website this spring.
- Learned about a STEM-centered collaboration between Normal Community High School teens, Cedar Ridge Elementary School, and State Farm.
- Discussed a draft of next year’s school calendar that the board is expected to adopt next month.
