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The Best of AASBO’s Best Practices

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To try to combat hunger, the district developed the Supper This is done through a MS Excel spreadsheet, with each
Nutrition Program. It’s a federally funded program buyer logging their savings on each applicable purchase
through the Child and Adult Care Food Program that order. The savings stem from having keen knowledge
allows the Creighton School District to provide supper of the contracts this district uses, such as “no shipping”
to students at seven schools. The program provides hot, or price breaks on higher quantities, getting additional
nutritious meals that are served after school four days quotes for other qualified vendors, making large bulk
a week for any families who wish to participate. In one purchases, new IFBs where the department knows it
year, the district provides 60,124 meals, proving the can save, and even ensuring surplus items are put back
need for this program is greater than ever. in use where they are needed.

Dysart Unified School District The nominator wrote: “The impact to ‘the bottom line’
Bob Young and education is three-fold: 1) the actual dollars saved/
Director of Facilities and Maintenance cost avoided can go to classroom or other needs, 2) a
Young, in partnership with MPBAS, a Phoenix building saving culture throughout the District, and 3) our folks
are looking for more savings!” Updated savings/cost
automation contractor, worked to review and make
changes to utility management to maximize efficiency avoidance total more than $950,000.
to save money, according to his nominator. First, they
identified the school where updating the controls would The Trust
have the biggest impact. Then, the district installed a Stephanie Arbaugh
new energy- management system and then programmed Transportation Manager and Trainer
the system. Arbaugh’s nominator noted that during April 2020,
the Arizona School Risk Retention Trust, Inc. (The
Looking at the data, they brainstormed how could the Trust) Transportation Department — led by Stephanie
school that produces (over-produces in some instances) Arbaugh, started a virtual webinar training program
solar to best use the system to save even more money. to give Arizona school districts the ongoing education
Initially, the saving was almost 20% for the first two needed to sustain bus driver and other transportation
months. Then, they decreased the temperature during staff certifications required by the Department of
the day to utilize the solar- generated energy and Public Safety. Topics presented as part of the webinar
super cooled the school, anticipating that the concrete program included Defensive Driving, Distracted
block would hold the temperature longer. This change Driving, Understanding Liability, and more.
increased the savings to 65%. Then, they connected the
system to Yahoo Weather to get the temperature for the “Stephanie and her team continued this alternative
next day, maximizing savings. From April 2019 until training method throughout the 2020/2021 year and
January 2020, the APS energy bill was reduced by over have now taught thousands of school district employees
37% compared to the previous year. across the state,” her nominator wrote. “As a result
of the webinar program, district staff were able to
Marana Unified School District continue working in the early weeks and months of
Procurement Department the pandemic while they kept food deliveries going to
their respective communities. Stephanie embodies the
For many years, the Marana USD Procurement
Department has kept a “Procurement Savings/Cost concept of discovering and developing ‘best practices’
Avoidance Log” where individual buyers track the every day. She is continuously implementing innovative
dollar savings or cost avoidance they are able to make solutions and working hard to ensure that Arizona
based on “their individual procurement action on that school districts are receiving the best transportation
purchase,” the nominator wrote. trainings and resources possible.”

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