Escalante Middle School's solar carport is pictured above from a drone vantage point. It's one of seven solar installations that include rooftop panels at four schools and carport panels at three schools. (Photo courtesy of Nathan Van Arsdale)
Durango School District leaders, Board of Education members, and Escalante Middle School staff were on hand to celebrate the completion of sustainability projects, from left: David Tanaka, Jessica Stumme, Chris Coleman, Andrea Parmenter, Erika Brown, Kristin Smith, Tava Gilpin-Reynolds, Collin Crowdes, Lily Tower, Dan Kenney, and Superintendent Dr. Karen Cheser.
Veregy Account Executive Ashlee Kruger, left, stands with artist Chris Vicari of Charleaux Designs to present her work "We Dream in Green." Vicari is a local artist who was commissioned by Veregy to create the acrylic artwork as a gift to Durango School District for their partnership on sustainability projects.
"The architects and engineers worked tirelessly to make sure that we met and exceeded everything that was outlined, from acoustic performance to energy efficiency, all the way down to lighting levels in each room," said Elizabeth Boone of Reynolds, Ash & Associates, the local architecture firm that worked on Miller Middle School. "Throughout construction, we verified that each material that is used inside Miller met stringent air quality thresholds, so that all the students are breathing exceptional air."
"Thank you to everyone for working so hard," said Superintendent Dr. Karen Cheser. "This does mean extra work, extra planning, extra pushing... but we know it's worth it."
