School District of La Crosse

This commitment has been building for more than a decade — and it continues to grow. The school district has embraced energy efficiency as an essential part of its culture, and it’s about more than lowering utility bills. It’s about creating better learning environments, making thoughtful investments in the community and giving students a firsthand look at what sustainability can accomplish.

To date, the district has completed a wide range of energy efficiency projects, including LED lighting upgrades, energy management and controls improvements, high-efficiency boilers and chillers, geothermal systems, solar power installations, and more. “Energy efficiency has long been a focus of our facilities work,” explained Superintendent Dr. Aaron Engel. “But in recent years we’ve started to think about our work more broadly, this included starting a climate action plan and sustainability committee.” 

The evolution is visible throughout the district.

Leading much of the work today is Jeff Elsen, Energy & Transportation Manager for the School District of La Crosse, whose own career reflects the district's hands-on approach to energy efficiency. “I started as a custodian, and when you have boots on the ground, you learn what to look for in a building,” Elsen said. “You learn where energy is being used and where it can be saved.” 

This practical understanding has guided projects that balance building performance, budgets, and the needs of students and staff. While solar arrays are among the district's most visible improvements, many of the biggest benefits come from less noticeable projects, including LED lighting upgrades, building controls and equipment improvements. Elsen has seen firsthand how those investments affect learning.

“When it's dreary outside and you replace older fluorescent lighting with brighter LED fixtures, students walk into a classroom ready to learn,” he said. “People don't always realize how much the environment can influence attitude and learning.”

At Central High School, for example, putting new LED lighting in previously dim spaces such as the band and choir rooms made an immediate difference for students. “I think the new lights make the room feel much brighter and more welcoming,” said senior Maggie Bratsch. “It helps us to read music and puts everyone in a better mood.”

Community partnerships have also played a significant role in expanding renewable energy projects, particularly through Solar on La Crosse Schools (SOLS), a volunteer-led initiative that helped raise funding for solar installations at six schools across the district. Those projects are more than energy infrastructure. They are “living classrooms.”

Solar production monitors installed in school entryways allow students to see energy generation in real time, while hands-on demonstrations and classroom lessons help connect renewable energy concepts to everyday learning. At schools like Polytechnic, students even incorporate solar data into project-based learning activities, turning the district's investments into educational opportunities.

It’s a partnership that illustrates the district’s larger strategy: complete one project, capture the benefits, and use those savings to help make the next project possible. For a school district facing tight budgets, those savings can have a ripple effect.

According to Joe Ledvina, Director of Facilities for the School District of La Crosse, “We try to do one major project a year and FOCUS ON ENERGY® is critical to that momentum. Not only do they provide guidance on the front end, but they help in understanding the rebates available.  Those savings are what we use to invest in other projects.”

Working with Focus on Energy and Xcel Energy has been instrumental in making more projects possible. 

In addition to financial incentives, the expertise of Focus on Energy Advisor Adam Meinerz has helped the district identify opportunities, introduce new technologies, and maximize savings. “School District of La Crosse stands out because of the breadth and consistency of its work,” said Meinerz. “They’re really trying to fine-tune their schools and become the most efficient facilities that they can.” 

“The School District of La Crosse has demonstrated a sustained commitment to energy leadership through a thoughtful, long-term approach to improving its facilities," said Jennifer Nielsen, manager of Demand Side Management and Energy Efficiency at Xcel Energy. "By combining utility resources, Focus on Energy expertise, and the district's dedication to continuous improvement, they've created a model for how schools can reduce energy use, lower operating costs, and reinvest those savings into their core mission of education."