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Lincoln Public Schools highlights energy, waste diversion and first electric buses in 2024 sustainability update
Summary
Sustainability coordinator Britney Wiese presented the district’s 2024 sustainability highlights April 22: over half of district waste diverted from landfill, 31 buildings Energy Star certified, two solar arrays, three electric school buses received via EPA program, and ongoing garden, tree-planting and farm-to-school efforts.
At the April 22 Lincoln Public Schools board meeting, Brittany (Britney) Wiese, the district sustainability coordinator, gave a high-level presentation of the district’s 2024 sustainability report and described ongoing programs that involve students, staff and community partners.
Wiese told the board the district diverted slightly more than half of its waste from the landfill in 2024, a mix that included traditional recycling plus reuse of books and electronics. The district recorded a personal best of 31 buildings achieving Energy Star certification in 2024 and reported decreased overall energy use compared with a 2019 baseline, even as the district footprint grew.
Wiese and assistant sustainability coordinator Alex Kofeld said the district’s first two solar arrays are installed at Lincoln Northwest High School and Standing Bear High School, and that the district has received three electric school buses through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Bus program. The district also operates one electric white-fleet vehicle and has EV charging stations at 10 sites.
Other district sustainability efforts noted in the presentation included a districtwide cafeteria compost program; construction waste diversion estimated at about 76–78% for 2024 on renovation and new-construction projects; school gardens and garden-gathering events; the Nourishing Northeast Lincoln farm-to-school grant serving four schools in the district’s northeast area; and seasonal Arbor Day activities that planted dozens of trees across district sites. Wiese said Kehoe Elementary students planted 40 trees at a nearby park last year and that the district planted 75 trees at sites in the community during 2024.
Wiese and Kofeld described student-facing programs such as the Students of Sustainability (SOS) summit for high school students, increased internship placements (including two incoming interns who are LPS graduates), and coordination with nutrition services to bring local food into cafeterias. Wiese noted that communications staff have prepared more detailed information about geothermal systems and construction waste management for the district’s annual report and website; she directed board members to the online report for full data and linked resources.
Board members and staff asked questions about the district’s geothermal systems, the construction waste rate, and whether the report includes breakdowns of energy and construction metrics; Wiese said more detailed charts and supporting materials are available and can be provided to the board and posted on the district website.
Wiese said the report and department maintain contact information for staff and community partners and that the district publishes a monthly newsletter and social media updates about sustainability work. Upcoming district sustainability events mentioned in the presentation included Arbor Day plantings and a bike-to-school day scheduled for May.
