The White House announced yesterday that IDEA Public Schools is among 13 K-12 schools nationwide to be celebrated by the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the U.S. Department of Education for improving energy efficiency and student health as part of the Efficient and Healthy Schools Program (EHSP). IDEA received this national accolade for the first time in the Data Detective category as part of the 2023-2024 Efficient and Healthy Schools Program (EHSP). 

We are so proud of the work our Facilities and Construction team members have done to improve the efficiency of our buildings and systems. Not only have these improvements lowered operating costs, but these updates are shown to improve student health, boost academic performance, and provide an opportunity for our students and administration to lead by example at a national level. 

Proud to be Recognized as Data Detectives 

The Data Detective category honors schools that demonstrate best practices to assess, benchmark, and utilize building data to prioritize school improvements.   

Projects in the Data Detective category go beyond energy efficiency, and demonstrate best practices to assess, benchmark, and utilize building data to prioritize school improvements. IDEA Public Schools was recognized in this category based on our work to obtain ENERGY STAR building certifications on four sites districtwide, including three campuses, IDEA Elsa, IDEA Rio Grande City, and IDEA Edgemere, which all achieved near-perfect ENERGY STAR scores. Our Facilities & Construction team has been working on this program during the 2023-2024 school year to achieve solutions with immediate impact and long-term benefits, including heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) and other technologies to reduce energy use and emissions. These best practices are helping other schools engage in similar efforts nationwide. Thank you to our campus facilities managers, custodians, and entire campus operations teams for driving our ability to create more energy efficient buildings!

This unique distinction recognizes IDEA Public Schools as a K-12 energy efficiency, health, comfort, and resilient leader. This recognition gives us the opportunity to build on our own success and allow the community to continue the project’s momentum to improve school infrastructure. 

To learn more about the Efficient and Healthy Schools Program, click here.