DC Everest officials say they're working to make the district more energy efficient to help save money. Wisconsin Public Service and Focus on Energy recognized the district's efforts at energy conservation last week with a check for around $94,000. That's incentives paid out from the Focus on Energy fund to reward the school for improvements to energy saving measures.

Maintenance supervisor Jeff Belott says the high school got the largest renovation. "This year we did the senior high school main boiler plant, which entails 4 separate boilers. Also the pool and domestic hot water boilers were replaced as well." The school also installed new LED lighting in a number of rooms in the building that see heavy use, as well as a number of improvements in food service equipment across the district.

DC Everest superintendent Kristine Gilmore says the district is committed to trying to save money for the taxpayers. "With limited funds, it really helps us to reallocate funds that we might have spent on our light bill, and put that back into the classroom for kids." Belott says the money saved in the improvements will be seen immediately. "Payback on those two projects, on the lighting projects is 2.8 years, the boiler project, believe it or not, will be about 5, just over 5 year payback."

The district expects to reduce energy use by over 45,465 Kilowatt hours and over 117,552 Therms of natural gas within the first year. Gilmore says funds saved will go right back to the classroom. "That might mean books, it might mean technology, it might be staff, but it's really all about making sure the impact of the local taxpayer's dollars are on our kids."