“Congratulations, full Tier 1 compliance with the Clean Buildings Performance Standard is a big accomplishment for Mercer Island School District,” said Judy Darst from the Washington State Department of Commerce Energy Division.

“As of April 30, 2025, Mercer Island School District has more buildings (6 schools, totaling 791,989 sf.) in compliance with the Washington Clean Buildings Performance Standard than any other school district,” continued Darst.

This accomplishment demonstrates what’s possible through teamwork, innovation, and a commitment to a greener future for students and the broader community. Capital Projects Coordinator Kathy Zurawski lead the efforts in data analysis, optimizing building systems, and working collaboratively with community partners to ensure compliance and drive energy efficiency across the district.

Hargis supported the district with no-cost HVAC controls upgrades to address elevated EUI performance, but then immediately moved into the energy audit phase to adhere to the CBPS timeline. Over the course of the assessment, it was discovered that changes made to the HVAC controls systems improved overall building efficiency to the extent that the buildings complied with the CBPS and energy audits were no longer necessary. This reiterated the importance of maintaining good HVAC controls as their impact on overall building performance can often be significant.

The Maintenance and Operations team—Steve Baird, Shannon Allen, and Dana Parkey—played a key role in putting energy-saving improvements into action.  While challenges remain—particularly with aging infrastructure—the district continues to pursue forward-thinking maintenance practices and employee engagement to extend the impact of its energy conservation efforts.

“Our maintenance and operations team, led by Tony Kuhn, is second to none. Systems that should have been replaced 10 years ago continue to operate, and thanks to their ingenuity, do so as efficiently as possible,” said Superintendent Fred Rundle.

“With our aging facilities I worry about catastrophic failure, but what I remain confident in is this team and the way they take care of our schools as if they are their own homes,” continued Rundle.

The CBPS, enacted in 2019, set ambitious energy performance targets for large commercial buildings to reduce greenhouse gas emissions statewide. By implementing energy-saving strategies such as upgrading boilers in older elementary schools, switching to LED lighting, and investing in capital improvements, MISD is proving that sustainability in education is possible.