By TIM THORNBERRY
Kentucky Correspondent

FRANKFORT, Ky. — Few know better about increased operational costs than local school districts, and one of their top expenses has been energy bills. Kentucky public schools have seen those costs more than double over the last decade.

According to information from the state’s Department for Energy Devel-opment and Independence (DEDI), $183 million was spent for energy during the 2008-09 school year. That is an increase of $93 million, or 104 percent, since 2000.

While many things have contributed, including higher energy prices (diesel fuel costs alone in Kentucky have jumped 162 percent since 2001) and increased use of facilities, the spike in energy expenditures couldn’t have come at a worse time as state revenues have dropped in the bad economy.

Many programs have been implemented into public schools, though, to not only help them combat monumental increases, but to teach children to be better energy stewards at an early age. Dr. Len Peters, who serves as the Secretary of the Energy and Environment Cabinet, said these educational programs have benefits that can be realized quickly, as well as long-term implications.

“Young students are our future, and these programs reach students at an early age to teach them about sustainability and energy efficiency so they can make more environmentally and economically conscious decisions in the future,” he said. “The programs, therefore, have a short-term benefit – helping schools save precious dollars through efficiency – but also a long-term educational benefit for students and others living in the community.”

One is the School Energy Managers Project (SEMP), designed to help schools save money on energy and funnel those savings back into the educational system. With the help of a new green team of 35 energy managers, 1,000 schools in 130 districts are working to alleviate some of the pain caused by high energy costs.

“Most districts have never had a person who has this as 100 percent of their responsibility,” said Ron Willhite of the Kentucky School Boards Assoc. (KSBA). “Now we have people with the time to look at ways to save energy.”

The managers, who have been specifically trained in techniques and resources to reduce energy use in schools, will go on-site for assessment and to oversee projects such as lighting retrofits and establishing new operating procedures.

Willhite, who serves as SEMP’s director, said the managers will help the school districts focus on energy efficiency and change energy behaviors. It is the simple tasks such as setting thermostats on more appropriate levels, that go a long way in realizing big savings, he added.

One federal program that has helped schools become energy efficient is ENERGY STAR. To date, 60 Kentucky public schools have qualified for the honor, which means the structures have met specifications and scored in the top 25 percent nationally of similar structures, based on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s National Energy Performance Rating System.

Other DEDI projects include the Kentucky Energy Efficiency Programs for School (KEEPS), the Kentucky Green and Healthy Schools (GHS) program and the Kentucky National Energy Education Development (NEED) project.

KEEPS, which is funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), is administered by the University of Louisville’s Kentucky Pollution Prevention Center. It serves to reduce energy consumption and operating expenses by providing technical expertise and assistance.

Resources provided by KEEPS are based on the use of ENERGY STAR tools and information. The program began as a pilot in 2006 and proved so successful that the state’s General Assembly passed legislation in 2008 requiring all public school districts to enroll.

GHS is designed to improve awareness about energy and related environmental topics for students, teachers and administrators in all Kentucky schools. It is sponsored by the Kentucky Environmental Education Council and uses a school’s entire grounds as a learning laboratory for students.

In each school, a team of students, teachers and administrators work together to improve it in nine different categories that include energy, green spaces, hazardous chemicals, health and safety, indoor air quality, instructional leadership, solid waste, transportation and water.

NEED, which is also using ARRA funds, provides energy education to students and teachers which increases their understanding of the scientific, economic and environmental impacts of energy, notes DEDI. Five part-time staff members serve as regional coordinators who help plan energy education workshops for teachers and students, and provide professional development opportunities for teachers.

The program will be working to enhance a relationship with 4-H and will also expand through a partnership with state Area Technology Centers and technical schools.