05/28/2009 Lawton’s Challenge Propels 100 Wisconsin School Districts on Path to Energy Efficiency and Taxpayer Savings
5/30/2009
May 28, 2009 – Ashwaubenon is the 100th School District in Lt. Governor Lawton’s Energy Challenge
Lt. Governor Barbara Lawton announced Thursday that she met her target of recruiting 100 school districts to participate in her Energy Star Schools Challenge within one year. Participating districts agree to improve their energy efficiency by 10 percent, develop a comprehensive plan for energy management, track their energy use with EPA software, and educate students and the community about their efforts.
By meeting her one-year goal, Lawton successfully positioned Wisconsin as the nation’s leader in reducing school energy consumption. Of the 504 school districts and K-12 associations nationwide signed on as Energy Star Partners, 113 of them, or 22 percent, are located in Wisconsin.
“Historic revenue shortfalls and an international economic crisis make efforts to improve energy efficiency at all levels more critical than ever,” said Lt. Governor Barbara Lawton. "Wisconsin provides national leadership today: one hundred new school districts throughout Wisconsin embraced my challenge and now simultaneously tighten their budgets and drive toward environmental sustainability.”
Lt. Governor Lawton will continue to recruit school districts for her challenge. The 100 districts that have signed on thus far, plus the 13 that had enrolled in Energy Star prior to the challenge, represent approximately 25 percent of Wisconsin school districts.
(Left) Congressman Steve Kagen, Ashwaubenon School District Information Coordinator Brad Taylor, Ashwaubenon Village Trustee Greg Collins, Lt. Governor Barbara Lawton, Ashwaubenon School Board President Mark Williams, Ashwaubenon School District Building and Facilities Manager Mike Beno, Superintendent David Schmidt, and Ashwaubenon High School Principal Mark Sheedy.
The challenge forms a cornerstone of Lt. Governor Lawton’s Green Economy Agenda.
According to the EPA, U.S. schools currently spend $6 billion a year on energy costs, more than they spend on textbooks and computers combined. Inefficient technologies and design waste an average of 20 percent of the energy purchased.
“School leaders need access to an easy way to begin to change operations and habits,” Lawton said. “Different districts may follow distinct paths to increased efficiency, but they will all experience improved performance and health with better lighting and air quality. And they will all realize significant savings that will drive continued work toward greater efficiency.”
Ashwaubenon School District Superintendent David Schmidt, who has led energy efficiency initiatives in multiple Wisconsin school districts, agreed to look for new ways to reduce the district’s energy bills, even 
after the district has realized a 20 percent reduction since 1998.
Left) Lt. Governor Lawton meets with students from Ashwaubenon High School’s SolarWise club.
“We are proud to sign on as the 100th district in the Lt. Governor’s Energy Star Schools Challenge and build on our significant record of energy efficiency improvements,” said Ashwaubenon School District Superintendent David Schmidt. “At a time of tight budgets, finding additional ways to conserve energy and save money for taxpayers could not be more important.”
Following the event Lt. Governor Lawton stopped by the Green Bay Press Gazette to talk with their editorial board.
You can watch the full interview by clicking on this link.
