A long list of sustainability measures saved School District 43 more than $1.2 million in the past year. But the district will soon need to fork over extra cash for carbon offsets, since the provincial government requires the public sector be carbon neutral by the end of 2010.

Public sector organizations must measure emissions and reduce wherever possible. For each leftover tonne of emissions, they then must pay $25 to Pacific Carbon Trust, a Crown corporation established in 2008 to invest in emissions-reduction projects.

Energy and sustainability manager Mark Clay said District 43 originally estimated its carbon offsets would cost between $320,000 and $360,000 in 2011. However, the district has since reduced its CO2 emissions by 24 per cent, which means it will likely pay about $75,000 less for offsets.

"We are carbon neutral this year, so what that means is we pay for any excess of emissions that we have," Clay explained at Tuesday's school board meeting.

But trustee Judy Shirra doesn't want to see money leave the education system for private sector investments.

"It's criminal to take money out of public education to put into the private sector. That's just unheard of, especially when the carbon stuff is forced on us ... I feel like it's criminal," Shirra said.

"To me it's taking money out of our children's classrooms."

Trustee Holly Butterfield also expressed concern about education funding.

"We are cutting away so drastically," Butterfield said. "Every cut we make hurts children in the classroom. It will change their lives forever, and that's something that is huge ... We have reduced services to a level that we are getting really nervous."

The school board agreed to outline these and other cost concerns in a letter to the province.

Trustees also thanked Clay for creating some budget savings through energy and sustainability initiatives.

The district saved about $330,000 in the past year through reduced electrical consumption and another $800,000 for natural gas. Heating, ventilation and lighting upgrades helped achieve these savings.

Clay said a plan is in the works to reduce paper use throughout the district, which will benefit the environment and save costs.

"The simple behaviours sometimes are the ones that are the hardest to change over time and make sustainable," Clay said.

"But those are the ones we really need to focus on because they're the ones that are making a difference incrementally and are the ones that will stay and last over time."

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