Saving on School District's Budget-My Suggestions

A few weeks ago I asked for budget reduction ideas to pass onto my school district. After much consideration and input from various sources and a few readers, here's my email to the school.

Good afternoon Mr Homstad.

I received the Budget Reduction Survey sent out with Joey's school registration paperwork. I applaud your efforts to engage parents and the surrounding community for ideas to better control the school's budget before it hits critical mass. I still feel like we're the new kid on the block but I have a few ideas that may (or may not) help achieve your goals. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Create and enforce an energy policy - Simple steps can cut energy costs by significant amounts each month.

• Reduce/eliminate vampire or phantom electricity. An electronic device turned off but still plugged into an outlet still draws vampire energy. Consider installing timer switches on various power switches. A timer switch will cut the power to that outlet reducing your vampire energy. This will automate the process making it easier on the teachers and staff, giving you more control over your school's energy consumption. If this isn't an option within the current budget, be sure everyone knows how important is in to turn off power strips and unplug electrical devices not plugged into a power strip. TV's, stoves, ovens, radios, computers, pencil sharpeners, paper shredders, etc can eat TONS of vampire energy every month.

Good Magazine created a chart of common household components vampire energy usage. I can only imagine how much these numbers would increase for a school.
Here is very interesting article about phantom energy usage along with some tips on how to control it, great links to learn even more, and a few products that may help eliminate it.

• Upgrade the kitchen equipment with new Energy Star ratings. (see Austin Public School's Project Study)

• Visit the US Department of Energy's Consumer Energy FAQ lists for more ideas than I can mention on controling heating/cooling costs, reduce water usage, and many other energy saving areas.

Create a Green School Club

• Involve students, parents, and teachers to create green policies and challenges for students. Growing food in a greenhouse or containers indoors, creative recycling projects, even green science projects (making solar panels, using wind energy, etc).
  

Clean up & Clean out-Eliminate Storage Costs

• Clear out unused, old, and/or damaged furniture and equipment from storage areas. Sell any salvageable items for a one time revenue boost. Recycle unsellable items to free up space for better usage and eliminate monthly storage fees (if any).

Purchase Local Fruits and Vegetables

• Find a local farmer's market or establish relationships with local farmers to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables to reduce lunch room food costs. (see article on the White House's farmer's market)
  
• Earn revenue by working with the community, students, and staff by creating a Lancaster School Farmer's Market. FFA or 4H could assist with his project. (link to Simon Kenton High School Farmer's Market and an article about it in the Kentucky Post)

Increase the school day
A more dramatic idea is to increase the number of daily school hours but decreasing the school week to four days. This will save enormously on bus fuel, lunch room expenses, and energy also leaving the extra day open for other community or school uses.

Increase Revenue

• Sell advertising space on the outside of buses and at sporting events. Renew every school year, every game, or every sport.
  
• Sell unused property or vehicles
• Charge the non-school community for personal use of hallways and fitness equipment. Exempt students or offer student/family rates for use of school facilities.
• Rent cafeteria for banquets and/or parties
• Get as many grants as possible to ensure we're getting all the federal funding available.
• Check into the President's Stimilus package for education. MN received over $47M for Title 1, $102M for IDEA and $6M in Technology. Make sure we're getting our piece of the stimilus pie!
  

Other Websites of interest:
Green School's inititiave help school's go green and save on their energy costs.

Again, since we're still relatively new, I'm not quite sure which of these ideas, if any, will be applicable to Lancaster School but here's what I've come up with. I realize you asked to receive these ideas by the 25th but I wanted to ensure I provided you with thorough information.

Thanks again for your time! Please let me know if you have any questions!

I recieved an email the next day stating a few of my ideas were already in practice but the remainder would be presented to the school board. I am hopeful my farmer's market idea will become a reality. This is something we don't have in our community and would be a welcomed addition. Regardless, I anxiously await to see what they decide!