Code: EDDA

Readopted:  6/12/17

Adopted:  5/04/09

Orig. Code(s): EDDA

The district recognizes sustainability and energy conservation as a guiding principle and believes that our education system should lead the way in developing an ethic of sustainability in all of its practices.  It is the district’s responsibility to ensure that every effort is made to conserve energy and natural resources while exercising sound financial management.  The district defines sustainability as “meeting the educational, environmental, social and economic needs of present generations without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” Sustainability will be managed through efforts in balancing the mutually interdependent areas of education, environment, society and economy to contribute to a healthy future for our students, staff, the district and the state of Oregon.  The district believes that these actions are a natural extension of the district’s core mission and values.

The implementation of this policy is the joint responsibility of the Board, administrators, teachers, students, support personnel and the community, and its success is based on cooperation at all levels.

The district will maintain accurate records of energy consumption and cost of energy.

The building administrator, with assistance from the district’s Energy and Resource Conservation Department, will be accountable for energy management on his/her campus with audits being conducted and conservation program outlines being updated.  Judicious use of the various energy systems of each campus will be the joint responsibility of the principal and head custodian to ensure that an efficient energy posture is maintained on a daily basis.

Curriculum will be developed to ensure that every student will participate in the energy management program in the district as an “energy saver”.

END OF POLICY

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Legal Reference(s):

ORS 332.107

Code:  EDDA-AR

Revised: 7/5/22, 1/22/19, 10/9/18, 

8/15/17, 6/22/09, 6/22/06, 4/1/00

Adopted: 8/10/93

Orig. Code(s):   3000-30

The Beaverton School District views energy and resource conservation as vital to our mission and values, both as a public steward and for the well-being of our students, staff and community. Energy and resource conservation is a shared responsibility and requires cooperation and participation from administrators, teachers, students, support personnel and the community to achieve success.

School principals and department administrators, herein referred to as “Building Administrators,” must take an active role in conserving energy and resources in their respective buildings. They, with the district’s Energy and Resource Conservation Department, are accountable for energy and resource management on their campuses.

Judicious use of the energy systems of each campus is the joint responsibility of the Building Administrator and the Custodial Foreman to ensure that an efficient energy posture is continuously maintained.

These guidelines supersede all previous instructions. It is essential that these guidelines be observed in the operation of lighting, cooling/heating equipment and management of water, garbage and recycling. Every person has a role to play in this effort. However, it is important to note that these guidelines shall not supersede the need to maintain a safe and secure environment for staff, students and site visitors.

Responsibilities

Building Administrators

1.    Building Administrators are responsible for monitoring the appropriate use of all resources used by their staff.

2.    Building Administrators will support resource conservation programs, educate their staff and ensure staff compliance.

3.    Building Administrators will be familiar with the energy management tools provided by the District’s Energy and Resource Conservation Department.

4.    Building Administrators are responsible for monitoring the use of personal appliances and technology in their buildings. Building Administrators will direct staff to remove non-approved personal items from buildings.

Energy and Resource Conservation Department (E&RCD)

The E&RCD will provide Building Administrators with energy management tools and reports specific to their facilities.

1.    E&RCD will conduct periodic walk-throughs at all district facilities to support compliance with this Administrative Rule. A copy of the walk-through report will be sent to the Building Administrator, Building Custodial Foreman, Maintenance Administrator and Chief Facilities Officer.

2.    E&RCD will develop investment strategies, implement new technology, lower operating and maintenance costs, and develop plans and projects to improve energy and resource conservation.

3.    E&RCD will keep abreast of new technology, regulatory changes and opportunities to use incentive programs.

Maintenance Department

1.    Maintenance is responsible for ensuring that heating and cooling equipment is kept in efficient and effective operating condition. The Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) Shop Foreman will lead this effort. The HVAC Shop Foreman reports to the Maintenance Services Supervisor.

2.    Maintenance is responsible for ensuring that electrical and lighting equipment is kept in efficient and effective operating condition. This includes solar panel systems at all new buildings built after 2016. The Electrical Shop Foreman will lead this effort. The Electrical Shop Foreman reports to the Maintenance Services Supervisor.

Custodial Foremen

1.    Custodial Foremen will be familiar with the operation of their facilities in order to shut down their facilities and minimize utility consumption at night, on weekends and during extended shutdown periods.

2.    Custodial Foremen will be responsible for ensuring that all operating guidelines are met.

3.    Custodial staff will be responsible for ensuring that the waste service levels are adequate to the needs of the facilities. Custodial staff will also ensure that adequate recycling containers are available throughout their facilities.

Purchasing

1.    The District Purchasing Manager will ensure only Energy Star-rated electrical appliances and equipment will be procured unless there is no satisfactory Energy Star product available for purchase.

2.    District procurement specifications will include the requirement for Energy Star products, if they are available.

Staff Members

1.    All staff members will be responsible for reporting lighting, heating, water, and appliance system malfunctions as well as waste, misuse or abuse of energy and utilities at their sites.

2.    All staff members will be responsible for the removal and/or disposal of personal property (lighting, furniture, etc.) brought into workplaces.

Guidelines

Work Orders

1.    The work order process is the proper procedure for reporting heating, cooling, electrical and water problems to Maintenance Services.

2.    The Building Administrator, custodial staff and school office support personnel are able to submit work orders to Maintenance Services.

Heating and Cooling

1. Maintenance Services should be notified when building temperatures and conditions are outside the criteria identified in the BSD Heating and Cooling Standards through either the work order system or by calling Maintenance Services. The acceptable standards in the table below are during the heating and cooling seasons. The months indicated are approximate and start and end times may change based on the weather.

BSD Heating and Cooling Standards

2.    All buildings in the District will have a night unoccupied setback temperature (for heating) of 55°F.

3.    Heating/cooling systems will be kept in “unoccupied setback mode” during all extended school breaks unless there is prior approval by the Chief Facilities Officer. Detailed shutdown instructions and checklists will be sent to custodial staff by the Energy and Resource Conservation Department prior to each break.

4.    In general, space heaters are not to be used in any district building. Risk Management and the Maintenance Services Supervisor can approve the use of personal space heaters or fans due to an individual’s health condition or in cases of temporary problems with heating or cooling systems. Personal space heaters must have safety features to include overheat protection and a tip-over switch.

5.    Under normal conditions, all doors and windows shall be closed if the HVAC system is on and working properly. During the COVID-19 pandemic, measures such as well-ventilated spaces, upgraded HVAC filters and the increase of outside air are used in district facilities to help minimize the spread of COVID-19. At this time, it is acceptable for staff to open windows to increase outside air and only when buildings are occupied. The windows will be closed at the end of each school day for security purposes. Building doors that lead to the outside will not be left open for any reason. The Chief Facilities Officer will notify all staff when there is a change in the rule regarding the opening of windows.

6.    Building use for after-hours programs and summer school will be specified in the district’s facility reservation system. If specific heating and cooling requests are filed by the user of the building, a work order will be submitted identifying the program schedule and building rooms to be used. Maintenance Services and the Energy & Resource Conservation Program Manager will provide advice to the school and Facility Use staff regarding heating and cooling zones to facilitate locating programs in single zones when possible to minimize energy consumption.

Lighting

1.    Staff are responsible for ensuring that problems with lighting, lighting controls and occupancy sensors are reported to the building custodian and in turn reported to Maintenance Services via the work order system.

2.    Lights should only be on in occupied spaces. Turn off lights when leaving a room for more than 5 minutes, allowing occupancy sensors to be used only as back-up.

3.    Lighting shall be kept at minimum levels at all times. Use task lights, table lamps or a single bank of lights during prep time. Corridors should be lit at half-level wherever possible. However, adequate lighting should always be provided to meet safety standards and building code requirements.

4.    Task lights and table lamps must use UL-listed LED bulbs to save energy and minimize disposal costs. The District does not supply bulbs to non-district purchased lighting. Make use of natural daylight when available. To do this, blinds should be open during the day, and lights should be shut off in areas with daylight.

5.    Holiday and other staff supplied lighting must meet safety standards and fire codes. Holiday lights can be used if they are LED, UL listed and unplugged or turned off by the teacher at the end of the school day.

6.    During evening custodial cleaning, lights will only be turned on in immediate work areas. Do not turn on an entire wing for cleaning. Light only one room at a time.

7.    Exterior building lighting shall only operate 1) up to 3 hours prior to sunrise and 2) 30 minutes prior to sunset through 11:30pm. These hours only apply on school days. Exterior building lights that are not associated with building perimeter safety (such as outdoor covered areas and basketball courts) will not operate on non-school days to include weekends and extended school breaks. Any deviation to these operating hours for safety and security must be approved by the District Safety Committee. Applicable parking lot lighting for activities on weekends should be scheduled as part of building use through the district’s facility reservation system.

Office and Classroom Equipment

1.    Staff must ensure all office equipment, except for network servers and printers, be turned off every night before leaving the building.

2.    Turn off all office/classroom computers using standard shut down procedures. Turn off all monitors. Do not rely on screen savers; they do not save energy.

3.    Turn off all individual printers using individual machine power buttons.

4.    Turn off classroom technology equipment (e.g. document cameras, amplification systems, projectors, etc.) when not being used.

5.    All office equipment purchased by the district must be Energy Star-rated when an Energy Star-rated product is available.

Hot Water

1.    Thermostats on all water heaters (other than those solely for kitchen use) shall be set at 120°F.

2.    All staff are responsible for reporting water temperatures in excess of 120°F (in places other than the kitchen) to the building custodian and in turn reported to Maintenance Services via the work order system.

Kilns

1.    Kilns may be loaded but must not be fired during the school day. Firing of kilns must occur during off-peak hours, typically after 3:00 p.m. provided that this practice is safe. If in doubt, consult with Risk Management.

2.    Kilns must not be fired in air-conditioned spaces or in spaces with connecting doors open to an air-conditioned space.

3.    All kilns should reach temperature in less than eight hours. If a kiln does not reach temperature in eight hours, request the building custodian to report to Maintenance Services and request repair of the kiln via the work order system.

Personal Appliances and Technology

1. Household appliances purchased by the district are the only appliances permitted in lunch rooms/break rooms, Special Education classrooms, science/specialized curriculum classrooms, health rooms and daycares. These appliances will be Energy Star rated unless Energy Star products are not available (e.g. microwave ovens). It is also strongly encouraged, but not required, that all household appliances purchased by the district have an Underwriter Laboratories (UL) certification. Building Administrators may determine a need for appliances in areas other than the locations specified above; however, these areas must not be classrooms unless the curriculum requires the need for household appliances.
2. Household appliances donated to buildings by PTOs/PTCs, the community, or district staff are allowed and these appliances:

• Will be inspected and accepted by the building Administrator(s)
• Will become district property after inspection and acceptance
• Must be Energy Star rated unless Energy Star products are not available (e.g. microwave ovens). It is also strongly encouraged, but not required, that all household appliances have an Underwriter Laboratories (UL) certification.

3. The following personal home appliances are not allowed in any district building:

• Refrigerators/mini refrigerators
• Toasters
• Toaster ovens
• Microwaves
• Hot plates
• Space heaters (exception noted in Heating and Cooling section)

4.    Staff with an American with Disabilities Act (ADA) qualifying medical condition may submit a request to have personal appliances in a classroom by contacting Risk Management and engaging in the ADA interactive process.

5.    Personal coffee makers are allowed in district buildings and must be plugged directly into a wall outlet. Do NOT plug coffee makers into extension cords or power strips. Staff will do their best to prevent student access to personal appliances. Personal coffee makers must be Energy Star-rated and it is strongly encouraged that they have a UL certification.

6.    Household appliances are not approved for use in classrooms unless the course curriculum requires such appliances for food preparation or science courses. These appliances must be purchased by the district, will be Energy Star rated unless Energy Star products are not available (e.g. microwave ovens), and strongly encouraged to have a UL certification.

7.    Personal fans/air purifiers are authorized at this time and are a mitigative measure to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Here is the criteria for the use of personal air cleaners:

• The fans/air cleaners should be HEPA filtered.
• Ionization or ozone generating units and UV-light purifiers are NOT allowed.
• The fan/air cleaner must be UL-listed.
• The fan/air cleaner must be plugged directly into a wall outlet. NO extension cords or power strips will be allowed.
• The fan/air cleaner must be in good operating condition.
• The fan/air cleaner may only be operated during school hours or when staff and/or students are present; the air cleaner should not be operating when no one is present or during after-school hours.
• The fan/air cleaner must be maintained by the staff member who owns the unit (to include filter changes). The district does not maintain personal property and is not responsible for any damage. A Building Administrator is only responsible for air cleaners and filter changes purchased by the school or provided by the PTO.
• The fan/air cleaner must be labeled as personal property and unplugged during extended breaks.
• The Building Administrator will direct the removal of a fan/air cleaner if it ever presents a safety-related issue.

8.    The following personal technology items are not allowed in any district building:

• Projectors
• TV displays or computer monitors
• Printers
• Large radios

9.    The technology listed above may be donated to buildings by PTOs/PTCs, the community, or district staff and:

• Will be inspected and accepted by the building Administrator(s)
• Will become district property after inspection and acceptance
• Must be Energy Star rated unless Energy Star products are not available. It is strongly encouraged, but not required, that all technology have an Underwriter Laboratories (UL) certification.

10.The powering of personal cell phones and use/powering of small peripheral computer devices is allowed.

Water Use

1.    All staff are responsible for reporting water leaks to the building custodian and in turn to Maintenance Services via the work order system. These include, but are not limited to:

a.    All water leaks in the building and running toilets/flushometers

b.    All stuck sprinkler heads, washouts, puddles, soft spots or other signs of irrigation leaks

2.    The building custodian or Maintenance Services should be contacted for the appropriate valves to shut off to isolate the leak once a leak is identified.

Recycling and Disposal

1. The Building Administrator will ensure that district surplus guidelines are followed for the disposal of electronics, furniture, textbooks and teaching materials.
2. Non-district, personal property (electronic, furniture, lamps, etc.) brought into the workplace that are no longer desired shall be removed from district property and disposed of by the owner.
3. Custodial staff is responsible for the collection of recyclable material.
4. A durable or cardboard commingled recycling container will be placed next to any garbage container.
5. Kitchen areas will have at least one roll cart for commingled recycling collection.
6. Glass collection will be kept separate from all other recyclable material.
7. Signage will be used to direct and promote commingled recycling practices.
8. In areas where non-recyclable waste is limited, garbage collection will be centralized to eliminate the number of individual trash receptacles.
9. Coordination with the Risk Management Department is required before the collection and storage of hazardous materials.
10. Batteries and fluorescent bulbs (Universal Waste) shall be segregated from the regular trash by custodial staff and disposed of through coordination with the Maintenance Department by submitting a work order.