Energy savings big in Sumter County Schools

Mulkey McMichael, Director of Public Information, and Energy Education Manager
 for Sumter County Schools
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When the Energy Education program was school board-adopted in December 2008, a mission and four-point goal plan was requested. Number one on the plan was to save jobs. Saving money was number two; saving existing and successful educational programs in our schools was number three and number four was hopeful adoption of energy conservation by citizens of Sumter County.

I hoped the successes of our cost avoidance program would become so great that local citizens would partner with us. All four points of the mission have been realized! The Sumter County Board of Education was honored at their October meeting with the Environmental Excellence Award for their exemplary leadership in the conservation program adoption. As Sumter County Schools has attained a cost avoidance savings of over $546,000 or almost 31 percent in savings, in 19 months, the reality of administrative leadership and teacher and staff adoption of the program is happening!

Dr. Brooks' six-point priority program continues to increase awareness of the greatness and goals of our district to become a high-achieving rural school district in Georgia. Operational Efficiency is priority number 2 and the system’s adoption grows with each conservation report. Moreover, the awareness of these savings has caused local citizens to team with us and cut off lights, computers and other appliances when not in use. As I ride through Americus streets to my pre-dawn audits of schools, I marvel at the ongoing light conservation in downtown businesses and residences. Habitat International is filled with offices but only minimal evening security lighting prevails. CVS pharmacy leads larger business sites with their lighting conservation effort. The City of Americus provides extraordinary street lighting on highly traveled routes; security increases with their efforts. Magnolia Manor is now a Partner in Education with Sumter County Elementary School as they plan to introduce the success of our school conservation program to other Magnolia Manor sites in Georgia.

The list of program adoption by business leaders and citizens in Americus and Sumter County grows as the reality of conservation mounts in our troubled economy.
Our system-adopted acronym, LOLO, "Last out, lights off," continues to remind teachers and staff of Sumter County Schools about cost avoidance that can be recorded with the simple practice of cutting off lights in any unoccupied spaces. Try it. It works!

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