Synergistic, the districts energy-management partner, told the Muskogee Public Schools Board of Education on Tuesday that the district has reduced energy consumption per square foot by about 20% since the program began and realized $454,000 in total program savings.

The savings represent an 11% overall reduction in energy spending since the district began working with Synergistic in late 2021, Synergistic representatives said. Justin Colter, identified in the meeting as the client manager for Muskogee Public Schools, and Lynn Pace, introduced as Synergistics senior vice president, presented the accounting and certification results to the board.

"You have reduced your energy consumption per square foot compared to the year before we started working with them, almost 21%," Pace said. He and Colter highlighted that the savings helped offset rising utility costs and translated, by Synergistics calculations, to environmental equivalents such as the energy usage of roughly 430 homes and more than 7,000 barrels of oil avoided.

Pace also noted federal recognition: seven district buildings earned Energy Star certification from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. "This means that these are buildings that are in the top 25% of like buildings in similar area and similar use," he said, adding that Energy Star evaluates indoor environmental metrics such as CO2 and lighting as part of the certification.

Pace emphasized Synergistics approach to efficiency: "We do not ask any of our clients to achieve a level of energy efficiency at the expense or the compromising of the integrity of your learning environment." Colter and Pace said audits and building walkthroughs were used to identify operational improvements; the presenters said Synergistic completed 815 building energy-use trend analyses during the partnership.

The district will receive Energy Star certificates and decals for the qualifying schools; board members and district staff planned a photo and certificate distribution after the meeting. Superintendent or district staff coordinated distribution with Dr. Crawley, a district administrator who was present during the recognition.

The seven schools named during the meeting were Cherokee Elementary, Creek Elementary, Pershing (sixth and seventh grade), an eighth-and-ninth-grade site, Ruffer Alternative, and Grant Foreman. Synergistic said some buildings carry multi-year certifications.

Board discussion at the meeting was celebratory and focused on recognition; no district action was required beyond accepting the presentation.