The Courier November 2015 | Volume 23, Issue 3
a division of Independent School District 15 Community Education | St. Francis, Minnesota Serving the communities of Athens Township andover, Bethel, East Bethel, Linwood Township, Nowthen, Oak Grove, St. Francis and Stanford Township
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Propane Council recognizes ISD 15 for adopting propane-powered bus fleet Gregg Walker
Propane Education & Research Council
The Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) donated $2,500 to St. Francis Elementary School (SFES) at the October 12 Independent School District 15 School Board meeting in recognition of its effort to improve students’ health and safety by adopting a propane-powered bus fleet. The donation is part of the commodity check-off program’s new campaign to educate consumers about the benefits of transitioning away from diesel and other dirty fuels. “Diesel has long been the standard in school transportation, but for districts that want to reduce harmful emissions, save money and create a safer, healthier ride, propane is an excellent alternative,” said Roy Willis, president and CEO of PERC. Following the federal implementation of new
emission standards in 2007, SFES began testing propane as an alternative fuel. Before long, virtually its entire fleet was running on propane, with drivers and maintenance technicians alike praising the advantages. Of its 50 buses, 41 now run on propane. “Our drivers say they’re quieter to the point that you can’t even hear them running,” said Dean Krause, ISD 15 transportation supervisor. “They’re that quiet. When the kids don’t have to yell over the loud diesel buses, they tend to talk quieter and the whole noise level is reduced.” Furthermore, propane has proven especially effective in combating the harsh Minnesota winters. ISD 15 spends roughly $10,000 each year keeping diesel engines heated throughout the night, Krause said, a precaution necessary to ensure the engines will start again in the morning. This is not the case with propane buses, which
(L-R) Roger Leider, MN Propane Gas; Scott Nelson, Independent School District 15 (ISD 15) director of Business Services; Ryan Johnson, St. Francis Elementary School principal; Dave Mohr, The Telin Group; Mark Childers, Thomas Built Buses; Curtis Donaldson, Clean Fuel USA; Bridget Kidd, PERC; Theo Mortitz, Cash Gas; Dean Krause, ISD 15 Transportation Supervisor; David Moritz, Cash Gas; Carol Patchen, ISD 15 bus driver and Sarah Boo, Cash Gas.
start right up in 30 degrees below zero—every day. Recognizing many of these same benefits, schools across 45 states, a total of more than 7,000 buses, have transitioned to propane. Nineteen of the top 25 designated market areas and four of the ten largest school districts in the country are now using them. The trend prompted PERC to launch an awareness campaign early this fall to teach communities about the benefits of propanepowered transportation. The council has partnered with journalist and former teacher Jenna Bush Hager and the nonprofit Adopt A Classroom to donate more than $25,000 nationwide to teachers at
schools adopting propane buses. “It’s clear when you talk to school administrators and transportation departments that they are saving more than just dollars and cents by going with propane buses,” said Hager. “The switch is improving their school as a whole and giving them the opportunity to invest in more teachers or school programs.” For more information on propane school buses, including bus safety tips for parents and kids courtesy of the National Association of Pupil Transportation, visit BetterOurBuses.com. To donate to teachers in your local community, visit
AdoptAClassroom.org. The Propane Education & Research Council is a nonprofit established, operated and funded by the propane industry. PERC leads safety and training efforts and drives technology development to expand the adoption of propane as a clean, domestic and affordable energy source. PERC programs benefit a variety of markets including transportation, agriculture, landscaping, residential and commercial. For more information about propanepowered technologies, equipment incentives and PERC, visit PropaneCouncil. org.
Young scientists from Shirley Meyers’ 5th grade class spent the day at Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve on September 25. While there, they studied the prairie, marsh and forest ecosystems. Students were busy gathering data on air and soil temperature. They also kept track of the percentage of sunlight each ecosystem is exposed to. Shirley Meyers, CCCS 5th grade teacher
Sue Austreng, staff writer/photographer, ABC Newspapers
Mansetti’s is celebrating 12 years in St. Francis! November 16-22, we are offering y our 12-Year Anniversary Special. Onl
Any LARGE THIN PIZZA
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00 763-753-4577 Hwy 47 & Pederson Drive St. Francis, MN
Limit 3
Dine-In • Carry-Out • Delivery • Online • Mobile
www.mansettis.com
Sun 11:30 a.m.-9:00 p.m.; Mon-Th 11 a.m.-9:00 p.m.; Fri 11 a.m.-10:30 p.m.; Sat 11:30 a.m.-10:00 p.m.
Come in all month long and sign up for weekly prize drawings!
What’s Inside Schools in Action.................................................. 2 School Board Highlights.................................. 9 Community Education....................................10 Community & Business...................................13 Sports & Outdoors.............................................24 Meetings, Events & Benefits.........................26 Life...............................................................................27