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Racine Unified School District: Five-Year Energy Efficiency Journey

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Educating the Future

Voters in the Racine Unified School District (RUSD) approved a referendum in 2020 to improve their school facilities. Since then, RUSD has made energy efficiency a focus in its building projects. These facility upgrades will have a positive impact on the learning environment and create a sustainable future for RUSD. 

Over the past five years, RUSD has saved $395,679 annually in energy costs through upgrades in lighting, heating, and building improvements. Additionally, the district received more than $560,000 in rebates from Focus on Energy®, helping cover project costs and boost the return on investment.

Two construction workers in orange vests and blue hard hats walk through a large, unfinished warehouse with exposed ceilings and scattered boxes.
Return on Investment
Lighting Upgrades

District-wide lighting improvements included replacing outdated fixtures with energy-efficient LEDs and adding control systems:

  • Horlick High School and Gilmore Middle School pursued advanced lighting systems with occupancy/vacancy sensors and LED lighting.
  • McKinley Middle School, the district warehouse, and Community Pathways also completed LED upgrades.
     
Heating System Improvements

Several schools made HVAC system upgrades: 

  • Starbuck International K-8 installed high-efficiency, condensing boilers.
  • Horlick High School upgraded boilers and added Variable Frequency Drives.
  • Gilmore Fine Arts and Fratt Elementary School made updates improving heating efficiency and system control.
New Construction & Renovations

RUSD incorporated energy-efficient designs and planning into the new construction and renovations of these buildings: 

  • Schulte K-8 was newly constructed.
  • Jerstad-Agerholm completed major renovations.
  • Other schools, including Olympia Brown, Case High School, SC Johnson, Walden III, Gifford, Goodland Montessori, and Red Apple, benefited from energy modeling and design assistance.

Thanks to community support, RUSD is building better schools with comfort, efficiency, and the environment in mind. By focusing on sustainability and student well-being, the district is investing in the future, providing facilities to help students succeed.

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