Ask Mr. Answer Person: Why was the air conditioning runnning at John Cline School over the 4th of July?

Dale e-mails: "Why were my tax dollars being used to cool Carrie Lee/Decorah Middle School on the fourth of July holiday?  For that matter, why are they being used to cool the schools at all over the summer months? I'm willing to bet that both buildings were empty (on the fourth), yet the air conditioners ran NONSTOP for most of the day.

With school not in session, it seems to be an irresponsible use of taxpayer money that could be much better spent on programming for the children or better pay for the teachers. What is the district's policy and who is responsible for this wasteful spending?

On a broader subject, what overall effort is the school district making to minimize its use of electricity/gas and the cost to taxpayers? I know there are a lot of challenges facing the district, but utility expense seems like it would be one of the larger buckets in the budget--and if the wasteful use of air conditioning is any indication, then it seems like there might be room for savings and the effort to do so would be worth it."

Mr. Answer Person says, "We turned to Decorah School Superintendent Mike Haluska for an answer to your questions, Dale.  Here's what he had to say:

'First, summer is when the cleaning process is done District-wide.  It assists the curing process with our floor wax when the facility is air conditioned.  The faster this process occurs, the more work can be done in a relatively short period of time. 

Secondly, the facilities (at John Cline) were rented by a traveling Drum and Bugle Corps on Monday.  The cooling was done during the day so as to minimize running the units in the evening, which is to assist us as we work with a neighbor who is experiencing difficulties with the noise from the units.  The cost of running those units was more than covered with the rental fees paid.

Finally, we have constant demand for the use of school facilities throughout the summer.  Without a "community center," the school district buildings take over that role.

In terms of what the school district is doing to limit energy usage, the answer is lengthy.  Among things implemented for savings are temperature settings in the summer are higher than when school is in session.  Energy-efficient heating/cooling systems exist at Carrie Lee and the Middle School, while a geothermal system was installed during the High School remodel.  The school district actually won an award from Alliant Energy for the work done in the use of energy-efficient technology pertaining both to the building envelope and mechanical systems. 

We are in the process of installing LED lighting in both Carrie Lee and the Middle School.  Capacitors are being installed in both the Middle School and High School which are expected to produce annual savings in excess of $20,000.  The plan is to eventually expand the use of LED lighting District-wide.  Finally, when outdoor temperature and humidity levels are acceptable, "free air" will be used to cool server rooms throughout the school district.

The school district is consistently assessing energy usage and ways to save dollars.  We obviously recognize the potential for General Fund savings in that area and are working to be as efficient as available dollars will allow.'"