District staff presented a full-year 2024 energy report showing a modest increase in energy use and cost compared with 2023 and highlighted how recent building additions and a new school will change future consumption.

The report covered quarter-by-quarter comparisons, noting that the COVID year of 2020 looked different and that quarter 3 of the prior year had shown a drop in usage compared with earlier years. For the full 2024 year staff reported an increase of $132,963.14 over 2023.

Staff attributed part of the increase to several building additions completed or taken over during 2024: a four-classroom addition at Center Hill Elementary, a four-classroom addition at Lakehorn Middle School, an eight-classroom addition at Center Hill High, and ten classrooms from Southern Central Primary (taken over January 1, 2024). The presenter said the district currently manages nearly five million square feet of instructional space and that opening a planned school for the 2025–26 year — a single site of 205,540 square feet, as cited in the packet — will put total district space over five million square feet.

The presenter also reviewed monitoring capability and said that nearly all schools are monitored through the district building-management system, with only six schools remaining outside that centralized control; staff said they can monitor building systems almost continuously and adjust heating, cooling and lighting to improve efficiency.

Board members thanked staff for the report and noted the value of 24/7 monitoring. No formal action was taken on the energy report during the meeting.