Liberty County School System officials say keeping the lights on at its school and facilities consumes about 25 percent of the electricity it uses each year, and the system will save more than $400,000 a year by switching to LED energy efficient lighting.
The system will begin upgrading the lighting at its schools later this year or in early 2020. Waldo Pafford Elementary will be the first school to be retrofitted for the LED lights, Liberty County school board members were told at their Oct. 22 meeting.
Under the plan, which spans several years, LCSS will “retrofit” three to four schools per year through 2023.
A pie chart was shown to board members at the meeting revealing heating and air conditioning, or HVAC, consumes 50 percent of the energy the system uses each year. Kitchen equipment uses 15 percent, and equipment such as computers, copiers and office equipment consume an estimated 10 percent.
In other business:
The school board also approved its out of state travel. The following travels were approved: the NAAE Convention in Anaheim, Calif.; Coaches Clinic in Columbia, S.C.; Gifted Trip to the Jacksonville zoo in Jacksonville, Fla.; Birmingham track meets in Birmingham, Ala.; JDL Fast Track Series in Winston Salem, N.C.; New Balance Nationals in New York City, N.Y.
BOE Board Chairwoman Lily Baker said the trips were approved so athletes who didn’t make it to nationals could still gain exposure.
Board members were also given a status report for a statewide effort called Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports, or PBIS. PBIS has become priority in Georgia schools and is aimed at promoting positive behavior in schools.
According to a chart presented at the meeting, Waldo Pafford, Bradwell Institute, Liberty County High School and Taylors Creek Elementary suffer from the most discipline problems. To combat this, schools are taking a look at how they’re handling student discipline, officials said.
Board members also discussed discipline issues with ninth graders, due to the increased freedom they get at high schools.
LCSS Superintendent Dr. Franklin Perry said in comparison to the structure given in middle and elementary schools, high school freshmen are given far too much leeway far too fast.
A need for consistent disciplinary actions was also discussed by board members. An example discussed at the board meeting was a student not getting in trouble for chewing gum by one teacher, but later being punished by another faculty member for the same thing.
Perry said that they are working to correct this inconsistency.