By Kamloops This Week
If the Kamloops-Thompson school district had done nothing over the last 13 years to cut its energy costs, that budget line for 2014-2015 would be $1.3 million higher than it is.
However, Art McDonald, SD73 director of facilities and transportation, told the board of education, changes made in that period have led to:
• A 37 per cent reduction in electricity consumption;
• A 34 per cent reduction in natural-gas consumption;
• A 37 per cent reduction in propane consumption;
• A 20 per cent reduction in water consumption;
• A 14 per cent reduction in diesel fuel consumption but a 13 per cent increase in gasoline consumption; and
• A 29 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
Nine projects in line for grant money
Nine projects have been approved for the district’s Creativity, Innovation and Curriculum grants:
• Sa-Hali family of schools is receiving $20,000 for its kindergarten to Grade 12 teaching and learning project;
• Beattie School of the Arts will get $19,250 for a digital media-arts lab;
• Brocklehurst Middle School will get $12,000 for a Google classroom;
• Clearwater secondary gets $9,5000 for a project on critical thinking;
• Pacific Way elementary will get $5,000 for a project with Lego robotics and iPads;
• Bert Edwards Science and Technology School will also get $5,000 for a “loose-play”objects and storage shed project;
• Teacher-librarians will receive $18,000 for digital-literacy programs for grades 4 and 8;
• Secondary math teachers will receive $17,500 for a project that aims to transform math instruction; and
• Dufferin elementary, in partnership with Thompson Rivers University, will receive $9,720 for a literacy project on developing a vocabulary application.