Everett Public Schools details sustainability work, Clean Buildings Act compliance and electric-bus expansion

Mr. Fleckenstein, the district presenter, told the Everett Public Schools Board of Directors on Feb. 11 that the district’s Sustainability Advisory Council has moved from pilot work into implementation and planning for larger capital projects.

The presentation described three tiers of sustainability work the district is advancing: low-effort behavior changes such as composting and LED lighting; midlevel system upgrades driven by the state Clean Buildings Act (HVAC replacements and modern controls); and deeper “level 3” construction measures — continuous exterior insulation systems and other envelope improvements — that produce the greatest energy savings over time.

Why it matters: district officials said newer building design and envelope work reduce energy use per square foot and lower operating costs over the life of a building, a factor that will affect future modernization decisions and capital budgets. The district tied eligibility for School Construction Assistance Program (SCAP) funds to compliance with the Washington Sustainable Schools Protocol, which requires a minimum score to apply for SCAP funding, and noted that point thresholds have risen over time.

Key details from the presentation included: the Jackson Elementary replacement will include space and wiring for solar panels and a code-required minimum number of EV charging stations (7 at Jackson, per the project plan); the north bus facility is installing 11 EV chargers; the district has been awarded a grant for three additional electric buses to join the fleet this fall; and the district is auditing buildings to identify more sites for Clean Buildings Act work and energy management plans.

The presentation included concrete construction examples: to meet stormwater requirements at Tambor Creek (also referenced as Tamor/Tambar Creek during the presentation), the district installed about 3,100 linear feet of corrugated pipe under the school parking lot to meter runoff; and Tambor Creek and other recent rebuilds use higher-performance continuous exterior insulation systems, which staff said substantially reduce heat transfer and energy use. Staff pointed out that North Middle School, a recent new build, uses noticeably less energy than older middle schools when measured by energy-use index.

Board members asked about costs versus savings and how the district will evaluate investments. Fleckenstein and staff said sustainability measures sometimes require significant upfront investment and that financial staff will be asked to model returns on investment for future decisions. Directors also asked whether community members would pay to use EV chargers; staff said the chargers would be metered and available for public use, similar to public charging stations.

Board direction and next steps included a planned site visit to the Norris bus facility to inspect chargers and follow-up reports on sustainable purchasing, Green Teams, and financial modeling for Clean Buildings Act upgrades. The district emphasized that sustainability work will continue in parallel with capital projects already scheduled (Jackson High School HVAC phases, planned hardware at Evergreen, Heatherwood, Gateway, and Jackson elementary modernization projects).

Ending: The board took no formal vote on policy at the meeting. Directors thanked staff for the detailed technical briefing and asked for further analysis of trade-offs between initial costs and multi-year energy savings.