Energy conservation initiatives can help school districts save money and educate students on environmental and fiscal responsibility, and a number of southern Mississippi schools are realizing the benefits of cutting back with an ongoing program.
The Forrest, Lamar and Petal County School Districts have all saved on energy costs in the past few years, thanks to efforts to reduce electricity use, cut back on water waste and become more conservative with air conditioning.
"We felt like there was money to be saved," said Mike Papas, Forrest County School District director of auxiliary services and energy management specialist, according to the Hattiesburg American. "In these tight fiscal times, we were looking to maximize every dollar, and in the area of energy consumption, we felt like we could save some money."
Reducing energy consumption has resulted in Forrest County saving nearly $400,000 since the program began in 2009, which represents a reduction of about one-quarter of the power costs for the six schools that compose the district.
The same plan has also produced savings for Lamar and Petal counties, and the total estimated cost reduction for all three school districts in the past two years has reached more than $1 million.
