In the past three years, Dickinson ISD has saved more than $2.5 million through the district's energy conservation efforts. With the help of the Cenergistic energy conservation company, the district has undergone a complete audit of energy consumption and identified and implemented ways to reduce costs.
In recognition of this achievement, Cenergistic recently presented the district with a Certificate of Energy Savings honorary check highlighting $2,530,000 million savings from the program's inception in June 2011 through August 2014. In addition, the district was presented with the Environmental Excellence Award, which is an environmentally-focused award to recognize the impact the organization's energy program is having on the natural resources. It focuses on the environmental equivalent of the reduction in energy consumption attained by the program and also reports the program's financial savings. It recognizes the support and cooperation of administrators, teachers, support staff as well as the district's maintenance, custodial and cafeteria employees who directly impact the energy program each day.
The success of the district's energy program has been a mixture of simple things like turning off lights and computers when not in use as well as bigger items like adjusting run times and looking at how larger pieces of equipment operate. Dickinson ISD's energy program and savings is beneficial in two big ways to both the district and the community.
"Our strong energy program guarantees that we spent the least amount of our funding on utilities so that more will be available for use in our classrooms, directly benefitting our teachers and our students," said Director of Energy Management Jeff Pulkinen.
Secondly, the energy program has a huge environmental impact in a very positive way. Just 2013-2014, the district saved over 5.8 million kilowatt hours of electricity. This amount of electricity would power an average size Dickinson home for approximately 391 years. In addition, the more than 13 million gallons of water saved last school year would fill an Olympic size swimming pool 20 times.
One of several success stories is at Dickinson High School where the school reduced the energy cost per square foot from $1.63 when the program started in 2010-2011 to only 96 cents in 2013-2014. Dropping to under $1 per square foot was accomplished while adding more than 200,000 additional square feet to the high school's footprint as the school opened a new gymnasium, two story classroom wing and band hall addition.
When looking at the district average, schools came together to see a 46 cent per square foot drop in energy usage from $1.62 in 2010-2011 to $1.16 in 2013-2014.
Pulkinen is quick to point out that the savings achieved by the district has been a total team effort of all employees.
"Energy conservation is becoming a normal part of our day in Dickinson ISD. We have been successful in creating a culture where wise energy efficient decisions are made that are helping us to provide a better learning environment for our children, all while costing us the least amount possible," said Pulkinen.
Recycled plastic bags are being turned into a warm blanket for a homeless person through a project at McAdams Junior High. Students in Lynn Benson's Family and Consumer Science classes and the school's Helping the Homeless Club have enjoyed learning this new skill of crocheting using plastic bags. It takes 800 bags to make one blanket so it has definitely been a group effort. Pictured showing off the completed blanket are McAdams students, left to right, Grace Kusnerik, Jenna Crowsen and Jessica Aguilar. 
