The Naperville District 203 School Board has hired a global sustainability consultant to help with the district’s goal of reducing its carbon footprint by 2035.
To accomplish this, district administrators sought proposals and received interest from nine consulting companies. Four finalists were interviewed last month, and on Monday the board unanimously approved a contract with Keramida, an Indianapolis-based company, to do a two-part study.
The first part will create a baseline greenhouse gas inventory, which will cost up to $12,000 and take about six to eight weeks, said Melanie Brown, the district’s director of building and grounds. Next, they will develop a carbon action plan, which will cost up to $25,000 and take eight to 10 weeks after the inventory is completed, Brown said.
“The goal is to create a plan that will have realistic, achievable and implementable strategies to achieve carbon footprint reduction goals,” she said.
Already, the district has been working towards environmental improvements and replacing older systems in its schools with those that exceed state and federal standards, Brown said.
“The district has been active in identifying and implementing ways to create more sustainable school environments,” she said.
Among its current sustainability strategies are replacing any HVAC equipment with high efficiency boilers and air-conditioning units and replacing single-pane windows with high efficiency windows that allow for better thermal performance, access to fresh air and solar heating control, Brown said.
New roofs that exceed federal energy code minimums are white or light-colored to improve solar reflectivity, she said. Parking lot lights have been replaced with LED lights, and work has begun to replace interior lights with LED lighting, she said.
Cafeterias are required to have compostable or recyclable items, and elementary students preorder their school lunches to cut down on food waste, Brown said.
The district also has bought four electric vehicles for high school driver’s education in 2022 and four electric buses last year.
Board President Kristine Gericke said the district has already been working on improvements during regular building maintenance, but the Keramida study will take the district to the next level.
Board members said they were excited to get a medium- and long-term plan.
Targets for greenhouse gas reductions will be set for buildings, operations and transportation with medium-term targets to be reached by or before 2035 and long-term targets by or before 2050.
“It’s a great way to set a baseline so we can measure our greenhouse gas reductions,” board member Joe Kozminski said.
Keramida also plans to work with students when developing its plan and has identified opportunities for students in AP Environmental Science classes and various student sustainability groups to participate in the district’s sustainability goals.
“We’ve had many students who have advocated to us in this regard,” board Vice President Kristin Fitzgerald said. “I think that that’s something where they have taken a lot of leadership. I’m excited about the fact the contract includes the specification that we will be providing educational activities going forward for students.”
Michelle Mullins is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.
