Butler County, KY — For Butler County Schools (BCS), every dollar saved on operational costs is another dollar available to invest in classrooms, teachers, and students. Through an innovative partnership with Trane Technologies, a global climate innovator, the district is demonstrating how problem solving — a pillar of its Portrait of a Learner framework — creates lasting value for students, staff, and the community.

Quarterly consultations with Trane’s Intelligent Services team have empowered Butler County Schools to optimize HVAC performance, reduce energy demand, and validate results through data-driven analysis. The outcome: $96,615 in total annual savings across the district’s facilities.

Results That Make a Difference

The most recent analysis revealed significant cost avoidance and efficiency improvements:

$30,565.87 in annual energy-use cost avoidance

$56,827 in electric demand cost savings

$9,221.23 in reduced operational costs

≈ $96,615 total annual savings

“These savings help us stretch every dollar in support of classrooms, students, and staff,” said Superintendent Robert Tuck. “Our energy results are a living example of our Portrait of a Learner — Problem Solving and Collaboration. We tackled complex facility needs with data-driven solutions and true teamwork across schools and with Trane. The payoff is real: $96,615 in annual savings and healthier learning spaces for our students.”

Stewardship in Action

The initiative is about more than just money saved. It reflects Butler County Schools’ commitment to stewardship and responsibility. By identifying opportunities for smarter energy use, the district has shown how creative problem solving and collaboration can drive efficiency while maintaining — and even improving — the quality of learning environments.

The Trane partnership demonstrates that strategic facility management is not just maintenance but an investment. These results represent tangible outcomes of Butler County Schools’ vision: to ensure that resources directly support teaching, learning, and student success.

ENERGY STAR Momentum

Beyond financial savings, Butler County Schools is also making measurable strides in sustainability. Butler County High School (BCHS) recently improved its ENERGY STAR® score by 9 points, climbing from 67 to 76. This achievement places BCHS in the top quartile nationally and qualifies the school for ENERGY STAR certification from the Environmental Protection Agency.

With recent updates to the BCHS gymnasium and continued focus on efficiency, the district anticipates even higher scores ahead.

Across the district, performance is equally impressive:

Butler County Middle School (BCMS): 92

Morgantown Elementary School (MES): 93

North Butler Elementary (NBE): 88

Districtwide Average: ~87

These scores place Butler County Schools well above national averages, proving that smart stewardship and innovation go hand in hand with educational excellence.

A Portrait of a Learner in Action

The Butler County Schools Portrait of a Learner framework outlines the durable skills that define student and organizational success: Character, Problem Solving, Communication, Collaboration, and Global Citizenship. The district’s energy initiative exemplifies the pillar of Problem Solving by showing how real-world challenges can be met with thoughtful, data-driven solutions.

Students, staff, and families benefit directly: not only through healthier, more efficient facilities but also through a model of resilience and innovation that demonstrates the very skills BCS strives to instill in its learners.

Looking Ahead

As Butler County Schools continues to expand its sustainability efforts, the district remains focused on the future. More energy-efficient upgrades are on the horizon, and leaders are committed to ensuring that operational savings continue to fuel instructional priorities.

The success of this partnership underscores a larger truth: when schools embrace problem solving as both a mindset and a practice, they create stronger systems that support student learning in powerful ways.

In the words of Superintendent Tuck, “The payoff is real: healthier learning spaces for our students and dollars reinvested into classrooms.”

With this forward-looking approach, Butler County Schools continues its journey as one team with one vision that makes us Butler Strong.