In the wee hours of the morning, as most children are just starting their day, Don Hanson is waking up Eden Lake Elementary. He gets there early to head off any possible maintenance issue, checking temperature, lighting and other variables. Eden Lake, and all district buildings, includes a much more sophisticated operations system than what has been the norm. School maintenance operations coordinators such as Hanson control the brain of that system, trouble shooting and monitoring any number of variables — from carbon dioxide levels in the building, to the lighting schedule. It is that system and the work of staff in monitoring it that has saved the district $2 million in the last three years in energy costs.

“With the cost of energy today, it’s the right thing to do for our district,” said Hanson.

The Eden Prairie School District has been ahead of the curve when it comes to energy conservation, using 40 percent less energy than it did in 2000. The district as a whole has been named an Energy Star Top Performer by the Environmental Protection Agency and last Wednesday, both Central Middle School and Prairie View Elementary were named “Energy Star Schools,” a designation that applies to only about 25 schools in the state.

Maintenance and custodial staff members from Central Middle School pose with Superintendent Melissa Krull, CMS Principal Joe Epping and Facilities director Jim Anderson. Staff members include: Tom Schiung, Vladimir Petrinko, Horge Castillo, Jim O’Toole, Said A Tama, Dean Larsen, John Schmidt, Noor Shidane, Bob Perkins, Carlos Martinez and Rob Gauvin.