NATCHEZ — The Natchez-Adams School District has achieved significant energy savings — $672,170 in a 46-month program.

Cenergistic, an energy conservation company based in Dallas, awarded the NASD with a certificate for saving 21 percent of energy cost savings during Thursday’s school board meeting.

“I’m really big on energy savings,” NASD Board President Tim Blalock said. “That’s money, essentially, that we could turn around and use to rebuild a gym or use for capital improvement. Personally, I would like to see some solar panels on the roof of our school’s. But we are not there yet.”

The award commends the district’s success in implementing the Cenergistic energy management program, which is a comprehensive organizational behavior-based approach to energy conservation.

“Sustaining this level of energy conservation is a significant achievement,” Cenergistic Chairman and Founder William Spears said. “Through the years, Natchez-Adams School District has done an excellent job of implementing Cenergistic’s energy management program.”

Spears said NASD Superintendent Frederick Hill and the board were good stewards of the taxpayers’ money and the environment.

“I’m extremely pleased to present Natchez-Adams School District with our Chairman’s Sustainability Award,” Spears said. “The district joins a very committed, elite group of organizations across the country working hard to conserve energy so that dollars saved can be reserved for educational needs.”

Hill said every dollar the district does not use is available to improve instructional programs.

“The challenge is that saving significant energy dollars requires the consistent execution of hundreds of energy saving actions by hundreds of staff members and educators every minute of the day,” Hill said.

NASD Deputy Superintendent Tanisha Smith said the district works hard at making sure computers are turned off after school hours and unplugging objects that aren’t being used.

Part of the energy management program involves Ray Brown, NASD’s energy specialist, who often sends emails to schools within the district to analyze every energy-use product, Smith said.

Hill said he encourages parents and students in the district to be part of the solution, not part of the problem.

The Cenergistic energy management program is self-funded and guaranteed.

The program’s savings pay for the program, as they have for the NASD. Additional savings can be reserved for other parts of the school budget.