Ballou PowerED Upgrades Strengthen Food Storage Systems and Energy Monitoring

Over spring break, the district is making targeted facility upgrades at Ballou through the district’s PowerED Energy Management Program to improve reliability, safety, and energy efficiency in critical building systems that support daily school operations. 

In partnership with Johnson Controls JCI, monitoring the building’s walk-in cooler and freezer systems has been completed. Upcoming work will further enhance these systems, with McKinstry scheduled to replace walk-in cooler and freezer components during the mid-winter break in coordination with Food and Nutrition Services. Over spring break, crews completed replacement of the walk-in cooler condenser, an important step in maintaining proper food storage conditions. 

A new monitoring and alarm system will also be installed for the walk-in cooler and freezer. This system will provide real-time alerts to Food and Nutrition Services staff and integrate with the building’s automation controls. This upgrade replaces the previous monitoring connection to the intrusion alarm system and represents an investment funded by the 2024 Capital Levy. 

These improvements are part of a broader set of facility projects identified through the district’s long term building renewal assessments and deferred maintenance program. With voter approval of the 2024 Capital Levy, the district has been able to move forward with planned upgrades across multiple schools. 

As a result of this proactive work, the district has submitted several buildings for early evaluation under the Clean Buildings Act. This allows more time for compliance, extending the timeline to July 2032, and positioning the district ahead of state requirements. 

At the same time, the PowerED team continues to pursue state, federal, and utility grants to help offset the cost of energy improvements. Information about current and past grant requests is available on the district website. 

By combining voter approved funding, external grants, and long-term planning, the district is advancing facility upgrades in a strategic way that reduces the risk of state penalties while helping protect classroom resources and student programs.