cover story:Bellevue Public SchoolsReceives Harding Award

Summer 2010

The Bellevue Public School District takes its motto – Champions for Children – to heart. While it is preparing the students for the future, it is making sure its facilities are energy effi-cient and affect the environ-ment as little as possible.

The district has 15

Bellevue Public Schools Wins Harding Award

Champions for children and energy efficiency.

J.M. Harding Award of Excellence

elementary schools, three middle schools and two high schools, serving more than 10,000 students. The district received exemplary ratings at all grade levels for its assessments and student achievements on the state report card, one of only two districts to do so.

Bellevue has produced state and national trophies in debate, forensics, drama, band, music, DECA (Dis-tributive Education Clubs of America), FBLA (Future Busi-ness Leaders of America), Science Olympiad, Knowl-edge Master, Science Bowl and Future Cities.

Lewis & Clark Middle School is a pioneer in its own right when it comes to energy efficiency.

OPPD ideas/summer 2010 5

It has two large nation-ally recognized Air Force ROTC programs, mentoring programs in all schools, and top-notch facilities, with no portable classrooms.

And as the fourth-largest school district in the state, Bellevue maintains two- million square feet of school, administration and recreational space.

In its quest to provide quality education, the dis-trict has done a fair share of homework itself to ensure its facilities operate as effi-ciently and cost-effectively as possible. As a result, Bellevue Public Schools has become a champion for energy-efficiency and envi-

Mission Middle School Dean of Students Shawn Hoppes and Principal Laurie Hanna meet in the school’s media center.

ronmental stewardship at all of its locations. For its continued efforts in this area, OPPD has awarded Bellevue Public School Dis-trict with a second J.M. Harding Award of Excellence for efficient and innovative use of energy.

Named for the first presi-dent of OPPD, J.M. Harding, the award has been given since 1984 to a commercial or industrial customer for demonstrating efficient and innovative use of energy. Bellevue’s repeat receipt of the award is a reflection

6 OPPD ideas/summer 2010

of the leadership of the administration, led by Dr. John Deegan, Bellevue’s superintendent of schools, the Bellevue Board of Educa-tion, and the teamwork of the Bellevue Public Schools’ staff.Lean and Green

“Going green isn’t just a trend in Bellevue, we live it every day,” said Dr. Deegan. “Bellevue Public Schools has partnered with the Omaha Public Power District for many years. OPPD has eval-uated our energy systems and recommended plans on how to become more efficient. These recommen-dations have paid off for the Bellevue Public Schools and provided us an opportunity to be good stewards of tax-payers’ dollars and good role models for our students.”

Bellevue Public Schools has been very proactive in energy-efficiency upgrades, both in partnership with OPPD and on its own, according to Steve Sauer, OPPD account executive.

OPPD, with assistance from the Energy Systems Laboratory at the University of Nebraska, has evaluated the district energy systems, provided recommendations and helped develop a plan on how to become more

efficient. “Once the plan is fully

implemented, energy costs may be reduced by 20 per-cent or more,” said Sauer.

“Bellevue also does a great job of long-range energy planning,” said Sauer. “The district always has some-thing on its long-range plans. For example, West and East high schools both have HVAC comfort and upgrade needs. Once funds become available, they will address them.”

Bellevue believes in a pay-as-you-go program, accord-ing to Dr. Deegan. The dis-trict saves money and then builds or upgrades facilities. It has the lowest tax rate in the metro area, and it has no bonded indebtedness – all of the schools are paid for.True Champions

“A driving force in all of our projects is comfort for students. If they are com-fortable, they will be able to learn and perform better,” said Jim McMillion, direc-tor of support services for the Bellevue Public School District. “But we certainly look at cost when we are planning projects. We try to put together programs and projects that go hand-in-hand with comfort, cost and

Award Has Honored Excellence For 27 Years

OPPD has awarded the Bellevue Public Schools with the 2010 J.M. Harding Award of Excellence for efficient and innovative use of energy.

OPPD began giving the award in 1984, and the school district becomes the second commercial and industrial customer to receive the award for a second time. Bellevue first received the award in 1997. Mutual of Omaha also received the award twice – in 2007 and 1990.

The award is named for J. M. Harding, OPPD’s first president. Harding served in that capac-ity for 20 years and built OPPD into the most progressive public power district in the state.

Past Winners2009 – Gallup2008 – NatureWorks2007 – Mutual of Omaha2006 – Millard Public Schools2005 – Methodist Health System2004 – The Lund Company2003 – Henry Doorly Zoo2002 – Creighton University2001 – Westside Community Schools2000 – Offutt Air Force Base1999 – University of Nebraska Medical Center1998 – Baker’s Supermarkets1997 – Bellevue Public Schools1996 – First National Bank1995 – 3M Valley1994 – Nebraska Furniture Mart1993 – First Data Resources, Inc.1992 – KVI Associates, Inc.1991 – Omaha Public Schools1990 – Mutual of Omaha Companies1989 – Wilkinson Manufacturing 1988 – Campbell Soup Company1987 – Control Data Corporation1986 – Vickers1985 – AT&T – Omaha Works1984 – Valmont Industries, Inc.

A ground-loop heat exchange system, buried under this field at Bellevue Elementary School, is similar to ones previously installed at the district’s Welcome Center, Lied Activity Center and Lewis & Clark Middle School.

OPPD ideas/summer 2010 7

energy efficiency. We look for the best bang for our buck.”

A dramatic transforma-tion took place in 2009 at Bellevue’s oldest school, Mission Middle School, when old radiator heat and inefficient air conditioning units were replaced with energy-efficient heat pumps, a new cooling tower and high-efficiency boilers.

Principal Laurie Hanna helped orchestrate the change, which began while school was still in session.

“We had to move class-rooms for two to five days at a time so workers could run ductwork and install heat pumps in each class-room,” said Hanna. “We had to move through the building in a manner that was efficient for the workers, and we had to give teach-ers at least a day’s notice to relocate their classrooms. It worked like clockwork.”

When school got out for

School District Offers Its Own History Lesson The Bellevue school system is Nebraska’s oldest. It took roots

in 1833, when Baptist missionaries were sent to Nebraska to convert and educate the Otoe Indian tribe, which lived near the Bellevue Indian Agency.

Up until that time, fur trading was a bustling business along the Missouri River. The Otoe – along with the Omaha, Missouri and Pawnee tribes – had supplied goods to fur-trading posts on both sides of the river. However, with the decline in the fur trade in 1832, Lucien Fontenelle sold Fontenelle’s Post to the U.S. govern-ment for use by the agency.

By the mid-1850s, Bellevue was the oldest and most widely known settlement in the territory. Omaha and other areas started to prosper, and in 1867, Nebraska became the 37th state in the union. In the 1890s, Fort Crook located in Bellevue and provided impe-tus to the city’s future population growth. Fort Crook was later named and redesigned as Offutt Air Force Base.

Today, the Bellevue Public School District is the fourth-largest school district in Nebraska. It serves more than 10,000 students, 35 percent of whom are dependents of active-duty military personnel stationed at Offutt.

the summer, workers had the run of the school. “I took pictures of the whole thing because I wanted the

staff to realize everything that went on,” said Hanna, who knows the school inside and

Jim McMillion, Steve Sauer, Robert Ingram III, principal at Bellevue Elementary, and Jerry Kline, lead custodian at the school, look at the geothermal system pipes in a mechanical room.

Continued

8 OPPD ideas/summer 2010

out – she taught there for eight years before her four years as principal.

Many people did notice the differences. Gone were the clanking sounds from the old radiator heaters and the whistling from the air conditioners. Teachers did not have to open windows in the middle of winter because of radiator hot spots.

“I didn’t get near the level of complaints that I received in the past, and I never heard the kids talk about it,” she said. “There was an absence of distrac-tion, which was good for learning.”Digging Deep

At its newest schools, Bel-levue Elementary and Lewis & Clark Middle School, the district installed ground loop heat exchange (GLHE) systems, technology that it already had at the Welcome Center and Lied Activity Center.

The GLHE is a space-conditioning system that uses the earth’s relatively constant temperature to pro-vide heating and cooling to buildings. Wells are drilled below the surface, where heat is transferred from the earth to a liquid solution, which circulates through the piping network to heat the building. The same system cools a building by remov-ing the heat from the inte-rior and transferring it back to the ground.

The system at Bellevue Elementary has 196 bore-holes, 163.5 feet deep. Pip-ing in a mechanical room

Over the years, Mission Middle School has retained interesting design features and added new ones, like this entryway. It is the district’s original school, founded circa 1890.

links the well field to the geo-thermal heat pumps through-out the school.

“The biggest benefit of geo-thermal heat pumps is that they use 25 percent to 50 per-cent less electricity than con-ventional heating or cooling systems,” said Sauer. “These systems also provide excel-lent zone space-conditioning, allowing different parts of the building to be heated or cooled to different tempera-tures.”

In addition, Bellevue Elementary’s design also includes three bioretention cells, added McMillion. Tradi-tional bioretention cells – also referred to as rain gardens – are small landscaped, graded areas constructed with a spe-cial soil mix and lined with a porous medium that can aid in reducing storm water run-

off, replenishing the aquifer and filtering pollution.

The Bellevue school sys-tem also is the first OPPD customer to install Digital Optimizer Technology, which will be used at Lewis & Clark Middle School. This new technology will extend the life of cooling equipment, as it is designed to reduce the amount of cycling, which wears out the compressor. “It will reduce energy consumption and demand by about 40 percent for the associated equip-ment, and it will be another money-saver,” said Sauer.

Not only do the Bellevue students benefit from the district’s efforts, but it has a lot to teach other custom-ers, too.

OPPD ideas/summer 2010 9

OPPD awarded J.M. Harding Memorial Scholarships to Shane Hanson of the University of Nebraska at Omaha and Song Zheng of Creighton University. Both students have their sights set on careers in their fields of study.

Hanson, a civil engineering major, hopes to work at an engi-neering firm that has a focus in wastewater engineering. He would like to help design sewer systems and work on water-treatment pro-cesses.

Shane currently works as an intern at Olsson Associates. Shane, who attended Mount Michael Benedictine High School, received a Regent’s scholarship to attend UNO. With a 3.94 grade-point average, he has been on the dean’s list and chancel-lor’s list, and he is a member of the Chi Epsilon honor society. He belongs to the American Society of Civil Engi-neers, plays indoor recreational soccer and enjoys biking.

Hanson is the son of John and Donna Hanson of Omaha.

Song Zheng, a Creighton junior who is studying finance and accounting, speaks two dialects of Chinese, English and a little Span-ish. Originally from China, Zheng attended Bryan High School, where he ranked fourth out of 341 students. At Creighton, he has earned a spot on the dean’s list each semes-ter, with a 3.68 grade-point average.

Zheng is the son of Chang Zheng and Yu Wang. His involvement with the Distribu-tive Education Clubs of America (DECA) and Future Business Leaders of America earned him state recognition.

Zheng’s activities at Creighton include Peer 2 Peer, the Anna Tyler Waite Leadership Program and the Asian Student Association. In the community, he has worked with Hun-ger Clean Up, Boy Scouts of America and Youth 2 Youth, and has visited nursing home and pediat-ric patients.

Zheng also enjoys reading, playing basketball and hanging out with his friends.

Harding Memorial ScholarshipsAwarded to Creighton, UNO Students

Shane Hanson of the University of Nebraska at Omaha

Song Zheng of Creighton University

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On the cover:Gathered in an entryway at Mission Middle School are Steve Sauer, OPPD account executive; Laurie Hanna, principal at Mission; Shawn Hoppes, dean of students at Mission; and Jim McMillion, director of support services for Bellevue Public Schools. OPPD is presenting Bellevue Public Schools with its 2010 J.M. Harding Award of Excellence for energy management efforts.

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A soggy start failed to dampen competitors’ spirits at the American Public Power Association’s Lineworkers Rodeo on March 27. OPPD hosted the 10th annual event at Levi Carter Park.

The strongest endorsement on OPPD’s planning and execution of this event came from a visiting APPA official, who said it will serve as the template

for future APPA rodeos.Nearly 200 participants from across the

country competed, including 39 three-person journey lineworker teams and 49 apprentice line technicians, who competed individually. A total of 24 OPPD employees competed, and many others worked hard to make it happen.