By Murray Siegel
The new school year is beginning, and articles will be written about new curriculum, new programs and new staff in our schools. Little will be written about one part of the Maricopa Unified School District administrative area that is saving a significant amount of funds by using the expertise and dedication of its personnel.
It is in Business Services and in Maintenance where these savings are quietly being realized. It is about time that the residents of Maricopa are aware of these actions.
Working with Gordon Ponticello and Shari Payne in maintenance and Chad Whittle in grounds keeping, Business Services Director Aron Rausch has initiated the following money-saving programs:
- An exterior lighting project using LED lights on all campuses is saving the district $135,000 per year.
- A project to install energy efficient interior lighting will save the district $450,000 per year.
- A behavior management program to use energy more effectively will save $40,000 per year.
- Replacing old heating/air conditioning units with brand new equipment paid for by stare funds, costing the district zero.
- In the near future, a web-based energy controls system combined with the use of solar power is expected to produce additional savings.
Rausch’s willingness to add the duties of maintenance director to his responsibilities when the former director retired, without receiving any additional salary, has saved MUSD real money.
Rausch lives in Maricopa with his wife Becky, who is an academic coach at Butterfield Elementary School. It seems making our schools effective is a family focus.
Murray Siegel has a PhD in MathEd and 42 years of teaching experience. He and his wife Sharon are volunteer teachers of advanced math classes at Butterfield Elementary School.
