Council Rock School District Recognized as an EPA Energy Star Partner of the Year for Second Consecutive Year

The school district’s partnership with ARAMARK Education continues to result in significant energy and financial savings

Philadelphia, PA, April 27, 2009 — ARAMARK Education, a leader in providing professional services to more than 500 K-12 school districts in the U.S., announced today that its partner, Council Rock School District (CRSD) in Newtown, Pennsylvania, has been named a 2009 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year for the second consecutive year. CRSD was honored for outstanding energy management and energy efficiency at the 2009 ENERGY STAR Awards Ceremony held last month in Washington D.C. 

“We congratulate Council Rock School District for once again receiving this prestigious recognition,” said Dennis Maple, president of ARAMARK Education.  “We are proud to help the District reduce energy usage and greenhouse gas emissions, while also yielding significant financial savings.” 

CRSD was recognized by the EPA for reducing energy usage by more than 30 percent in 2008.  This year, the District has reduced energy usage by more than 40 percent. The District also reduced carbon dioxide emissions by over 22 million pounds, which is up from 12.5 million pounds last year and is equivalent to removing 2,375 cars from the road for one year.
Over the past three years, CRSD saved more than $4.7 million in energy costs. 

“This partnership has exceeded our highest expectations in terms of both the magnitude and the pace of improvement,” said Robert Schoch, Director of Business Administration, Council Rock School District. “The timing has been excellent given volatile energy prices and a tough economy.  Even with this success, we are still finding many opportunities for improvement.  We could not have done this ourselves.”  

Through its partnership with ARAMARK Education, CRSD has been able to implement a comprehensive energy reduction program that includes operational improvements, staff training, and equipment repairs and upgrades. The District is also re-commissioning newer buildings and requiring the purchase of ENERGY STAR qualified products when possible.   A major highlight of the program is the participation of students, teachers and the community in energy efficiency efforts. Elementary school students developed a logo and slogan for the program and a scholarship fund was established for middle and high school students for their energy efficiency efforts. A "Green Team" of staff, parents, and energy managers meets periodically to coordinate initiatives and share updates on progress.

CRSD has been an EPA ENERGY STAR partner since 2006, increasing its overall ENERGY STAR rating to 83 from 30 just three years ago. The District became an ENERGY STAR Leader in 2007 for achieving the milestone of 20 percent energy reduction. 

About ARAMARK
ARAMARK is a leader in professional services, providing award-winning food services, facilities management, and uniform and career apparel to health care institutions, universities and school districts, stadiums and arenas, and businesses around the world. In FORTUNE magazine's 2009 list of "World's Most Admired Companies," ARAMARK was ranked number one in its industry, consistently ranking since 1998 as one of the top three most admired companies in its industry as evaluated by peers and analysts. ARAMARK seeks to responsibly address issues that matter to its clients, customers, employees and communities by focusing on employee advocacy, environmental stewardship, health and wellness, and community involvement. Headquartered in Philadelphia, ARAMARK has approximately 260,000 employees serving clients in 22 countries.

Contacts:
Dave Gargione
215-238-3559
gargione-david@aramark.com

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