By Patrick Baron
BLOOMINGTON – Facility upgrades and eco-friendly practices are paving the way for District 87’s future, as the district has been presented a decades-old environmental award.
The Illinois Sustainability Award is presented to organizations and institutions that display a commitment to being environmentally friendly and contribute to the growth of a more sustainable state economy.
District 87 Superintendent Barry Reilly said schools across the district have been implementing grassroots efforts like recycling, transitioning from disposable utensils to reusable silverware, and donating unused food items to local food banks. The award, Reilly explained, serves as a reminder of the discipline and determination being put in by the district’s staff to make schools more eco-friendly.
“It affirms the hard work of our facilities folks, meaning our director of facilities, our custodial and maintenance staff, the contractors that we have to work with when we remodel or build,” said Reilly. “Those folks all do a great job of maintaining our buildings.”
Yet Reilly noted some of those eco-friendly efforts haven’t come to the district free of charge. He explains even though the district has made some payments to fund things such as building upgrades and waste management, it’s all about thinking long-term.
“We try not to say ‘cost savings’ because we’ve spent money to save money. So what we will tell people is ‘look, let’s not get into this debate of whether or not we’re saving money when we just spent a bunch of money’,” Reilly said. “Yes, we’ve spent money. But we’re avoiding costs as time goes on.”
The District 87 board highlighted companies like BMO Harris and Caterpillar being among those who have won the award in the past. But they haven’t found an instance where an entire school district was recognized.
“To our knowledge, we’re the only school district as a whole that has received this award. I believe there have been a few examples of schools, but not entire districts,” Reilly explained.
Reilly said the district will continue to invest in educating students on eco-friendly habits, which will benefit the community as a whole.
Patrick Baron can be reached at [email protected].
