Rice Elementary School is national Energy Star

June 3, 2009

By Brenda Rader Mross
The Wellington

Hard work saves energy. Custodian Norma Rodriguez stands with the Energy Star award she helped earn for Rice Elementary School. Photo by Brenda Rader Mross

Rice Elementary has an internal dynamic force to thank for its 2008 Energy Star award. However, its head custodian and conservation champion deflects any accolades, saying she was just doing her job.

“I was stunned,” Norma Rodriguez said and shook her head as if still in disbelief. “I didn’t even know this existed. It’s just my nature, just me, wanting to take care of the building.”

More caretaker than janitor, Rodriguez considers Rice Elementary School her home away from home, and thus treats the building and its occupants with the same respect.

“I love it here,” Rodriguez explained. “I’m not saying it’s my building, but…I like to go home to a cozy and comfortable place and want it to be like that here. The people are like my family; the students are like my kids.”

Rice Elementary is one of 21 Poudre School District schools, including Wellington Junior High, to be recognized this year for superior energy performance in 2008 by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy. To earn the Energy Star, a building must demonstrate that it is in the top 25 percent of energy performance compared with similar facilities. It must meet current indoor air quality standards, as well.

In 2008, 35 schools were labeled Energy Stars in Colorado. They were among 730 in the entire country. Since 2000, 87 PSD schools have received Energy Stars.

“It’s pretty prestigious,” said Stu Reeve, energy manager for the school district. “For Rice to score a 90 percent in its first year is awesome. It’s verification that this is a healthy building, a good place to learn. It means we’re making good decisions there and always asking, ‘What can we do better?’”

Calling Rodriguez “one of our heroes,” Reeve credited the 38-year-old with being a good steward and getting everybody on board with energy saving behaviors and awareness.

“Our charge is to put as much money back into classrooms as possible by being as efficient as possible with utilities and other energy resources,” he said. “Even in a green building like Rice, it can get pretty expensive.”

Every little bit makes a difference in what Reeve termed the triple bottom line: economical, environmental and social.

“It’s cool to recognize Norma,” Reeve said. “She’s obviously all over that building all the time. She’s a champion working with teachers and students. The principal is also a huge component. They’re all on board. It takes attitude and willingness, because buildings don’t use energy; people do.”

Principal Karen Koehn credits Rodriguez with being a huge part of the reason why Rice was awarded an Energy Star.

“Norma is the most amazing person ever,” said Koehn, who previously worked with Rodriguez at Putnam Elementary. “She takes such pride in keeping Rice spotlessly clean and running efficiently. She encourages recycling and energy conservation with all students and staff.”
It’s the communication piece that Rodriguez really enjoys.

“Karen gives me respect and allows me access to staff and students, which makes a big difference,” the 10-year PSD employee said. “I can go to staff meetings and say, ‘Kids are wasting water. They’re playing in it and splashing everything.’ The teachers try to help me out so much.”

When there are 10 bathrooms to keep clean, it takes a lot of teamwork from the rest of the Rice custodial crew, Muriel Reeve and Don Delhoy. Rodriguez paid tribute to everyone in the district facilities department for always being positive and on top of things.

Reeve predicts Rice will outperform itself next year. Rodriguez is already planning to reach the 100 percent mark by working even harder at what helped Rice get the federal acknowledgment: getting everyone, parents too, involved in ardent recycling, turning off lights, making sure doors and windows are closed and sealed tight, using green chemicals and microfiber cloths, and not wasting water.

Koehn said plans for next year include a team of students who will monitor energy usage and engage their peers in a variety of activities designed to promote sustainability.

Rodriguez said she takes everything she’s learned at Rice home to teach her family: her husband, Abraham, who works for UBC Lumber, and their daughter, Kristi Ramos, who just graduated from Poudre High School. Rodriguez’s parents were head custodians at Colorado State University.

Perhaps the only time Rodriguez isn’t actively conserving energy is when she’s giving her all in left center field for the Fort Collins Parks and Recreation softball team “And What.”
Next week, The Wellington will report on Wellington Junior High School’s nationally recognized energy conservation efforts.