Dufur sets national example for healthier and more efficient schools

A Seismic Rehabilitation Grant made a 2024 Dufur School District roofing project possible. The district was also able to add insulation to the old gym, making it more energy efficient and comfortable for students. (Photo courtesy of the Dufur School District)

Updating school district buildings to improve indoor air quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions just makes sense for the Dufur School District, according to its leaders.

Wildfires in the warm months and cold air inversions in the winter dirty the air to a dangerous degree. Cleaner electricity is just plain cheaper power for Dufur than hauling in diesel to the small district south of The Dalles. And more efficient heating and cooling always makes good financial sense.

For years, practicality and the well-being of students have led Dufur leaders to think environmentally. Their track record and forward thinking have now put them on the national stage.

Dufur is one of 10 school districts in 10 states to receive the first $50,000 grants in a program to improve schools' indoor air quality and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Training and resources being developed now for the school board and district will be tested in Dufur and rolled out nationally.

"Here we are a little rural, small-town school making national news," said Robert Wallace, school board chair. "It's a long string of projects that got us to this point."

The National School Boards Association and the Go Green Initiative announced Monday, June 16, Dufur's involvement in a multiyear grant program supported by the Environmental Protection Agency. Go Green aims to improve lifelong outcomes for children by supporting environmental health, safety and sustainability in schools.

The program will have three more cohorts of 10, with the application period opening again early next year. The program is prioritizing low-income and Tribal school districts.

The grant recipients, including Dufur, will receive direct support and training. Go Green plans to develop an online training for school board members that will be free for all to go along with its other information and resources.

"Poor indoor air quality is linked to increased absenteeism, lower test scores and decreased teacher retention rates, all of which directly undermine student achievement," said Verjeana McCotter-Jacobs, NSBA executive director and CEO, in a news release. "We applaud these 10 districts for their leadership and commitment to student and staff well-being and educational success."

Andrew Kamali, Go Green capacity building program manager, said Dufur had one of the strongest application statements in the country. He said the judges were impressed by Dufur's commitment and environmental leadership while focusing on the health benefits and building the school's capacity.

Wallace, a certified energy manager, said it was exciting for him to see where the district is going. The district has done Oregon Department of Energy audits and made conscious economic choices over the years to update buildings with an eye toward efficiency and the health and well-being of staff and students.

The district doesn't have money in its State School Fund allotment for the work, according to Wallace, but the district has aggressively sought grants for things such as upgrading its heating and cooling, adding solar panels, replacing doors and windows, and installing a high-efficiency water heater.

"Without those additional dollars, we would be in a building that is 1956, and that's what we would have," he said. "Without the grant funding, we would not have the facilities we have today."

Wallace compared the need to create cleaner indoor air to past efforts to remove lead in pipes and drinking fountains. Once the danger became apparent, schools acted to replace old water sources.

Health-related initiatives not only provide a better learning environment, they also show students that school leaders care about them, he said.

The district has coupled seismic grant work with projects such as adding insulation where there was none before.

Kristin Whitley, the incumbent superintendent, said the district had to close the school during cold snaps when part of the building could be warmed to only 45 degrees.

Likewise, she said they have had to close the school when wildfires have made the indoor air dangerous. Among the school's upgrades are indoor air quality monitors to make sure the air is safe.

Whitley said the grant and the training support will allow the district to take baseline assessments to refine and target its future facility work and air quality monitoring. She said the district will collect data and engage the community in planning.

"Small, data-driven improvements lead to a large return for our students, staff and building," Whitley said.

The grant requirements include a call for the school board to adopt policies to address indoor air quality and greenhouse gas emissions.

"We have already done a bunch of the work," Wallace said. "This is taking it to the next level."

- Jake Arnold, OSBAjarnold@osba.org