Dean Stanley, the district operations presenter, told the Oregon City School District Board on Aug. 20 that long-running facilities projects and newer upgrades have produced steep reductions in utility and operating costs.

Stanley said the district has pursued lighting, HVAC and plumbing upgrades for about 15 years and used federal ESSER funds this summer for several targeted projects. “This summer, changed out our fob system, alarm systems, PA systems. We had door replacement in AC and at Fassett and Eisenhower gyms. Those were all ESSER projects,” Stanley said, adding many of those projects were “just barely finishing up.”

The district asked the board to note declines in energy spending that Stanley tied to LED retrofits, boiler replacements and other conservation measures. “In 2009 and 02/2010, our district spent in excess of $510,000 on electricity alone. Last year, we spent just under $278,000. That's a reduction of about 46% district wide,” Stanley said, and he added the district cut electricity use by roughly 15% in one recent year.

Stanley said other measures included occupancy-timed flushers, replacement of water‑cooled freezers that previously ran water continuously, and conversion of Jerusalem from fuel oil to natural gas. He also said the district has used an energy‑procurement firm, Palmer Energy, and that gas savings over the 15‑year period total about 63% (which he described as “just over a quarter of a million dollars” saved).

On non‑utility operating costs, Stanley said a new copier lease with Applied Innovations replaced Xerox and produced a roughly 30% annual cost reduction over last year — about $85,000 in savings this year — and the district implemented PaperCut to reduce unclaimed print waste.

Board members thanked Stanley and noted facilities staff and custodial crews for work over the summer. The presentation also noted ongoing projects: door deliveries that were still pending and air‑conditioning installations at Eisenhower and Fassett that Stanley expected to finish soon.

Why it matters: the district framed these investments as reducing ongoing operating costs while allowing modern systems (air conditioning, security fobs, PA systems) to remain in place. The board heard that continued LED conversion (about 60% complete districtwide) and additional water‑savings work remain on the schedule.

The board did not take a formal vote on the operational report; it was presented for information and discussion.