MISD Achieves Clean Energy Compliance Across All Buildings

Mercer Island, WA, May 2, 2025 – The Mercer Island School District is proud to announce we are the third, and currently largest, school district in Washington to achieve full compliance with the Clean Buildings Performance Standard (CBPS) across all our buildings.

This milestone reflects three years of dedicated collaboration between the district’s facilities team led by Director of Maintenance, Operations, and Facilities Tony Kuhn, Hargis Engineers (Mike Baranick and Rachel Huffman), Puget Sound Energy (PSE) and ATS Automation.

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 our older elementary schools, switching to LED lighting, and investing in capital improvements, MISD is setting a standard for sustainability in education.

“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 sq. ft.) in compliance with the Washington Clean Buildings Performance Standard than any other school district,” continued Darst.

Capital Projects Coordinator Kathy Zurawski played a pivotal role in this achievement, leading efforts in data analysis, optimizing building systems, and working collaboratively with community partners to ensure compliance and drive energy efficiency across the district.

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.

This accomplishment demonstrates what’s possible through teamwork, innovation, and a commitment to a greener future for students and the broader community. Also, this accomplishment could not have been achieved without the energy conservation efforts of all MISD staff.

“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.