Sustainability Summary:
Jeffers High School:
- has a recycling program
- uses low-flow water fixtures
- has a student earth club.
We are proud of our students' participation in environmental projects at Lake Perrault.
Located just three miles from the school, Lake Perrault and the Robert T. Brown Nature Sanctuary provided an outdoor classroom for Jeffers High School students. In partnership with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR), students enhanced local recreational opportunities by creating an interpretive trail around Lake Perrault. Students helped the Michigan Nature Association to protect the 18-acre wetland adjacent to the DNR land by constructing a boardwalk and viewing platforms. Students in grades 7-12 spent time at the site involved in a variety of activities—trail design, construction and interpretation, monitoring ecosystems--while meeting Michigan state content expectations in science, math, language arts, and social studies.
Property Description:
Jeffers High School was built in 1909. The building has three stories, with approximately 60,000 square feet of floor area. There are currently 440 students in grades 9 - 12, with 25 teachers.
The first graduating class from this facility was one hundred years ago in 1910. The building is a typical example of institutional construction in this area of Michigan from the turn of the century. The facility was built utilizing local sandstone block construction with large expansive window openings and decorative masonry work at the roof lines and entrances.
The building has been renovated numerous times in the last 100 years including upgrades to the windows, the addition of fire and smoke barrier doors in the stairwells and hallways, modifications to the entrances to allow for handicap accessibility, and numerous mechanical, plumbing, and electrical infrastructure improvements. Even with the modifications the original character of the structure has been maintained.
The Jeffers High School Facility is well maintained for a one hundred year old structure. The building exterior of local sandstone block construction is in good shape. Interior walls have not been insulated. The roofing systems have been maintained and there has been a normal amount of wear and tear on the flat roof surfaces. Additional insulation was added in all attic areas and rigid insulation was added to the roof on the last replacement of the roofing system. Windows and doors have been upgraded within the last twenty years an all are in good shape. The windows and doors are double pane insulating style windows. The pool area has glass block windows and these should be replaced with insulating style windows or an insulated wall.
The electrical power systems have been upgraded to circuit breakers, switchgear, and wiring in conduit. The original incandescent lighting system has been upgraded to fluorescent bulbs for most of the interior spaces. A good majority of the bulbs are T-8 bulbs. The mechanical system for the building is an oil and propane fired boiler system with radiators and convectors. There is an antiquated ventilation system that is no longer in use. The mechanical systems have been replaced over the years and this facility did utilize a wood fired boiler in the 1980's. The wood fired boiler did experience problems with the fuel source feed to the boilers and a switch was made to the current oil fired boilers once the wood fired boiler had reached the age of needing replacement.
The two major contributors to the energy consumption of the facility are the indoor swimming pool and kitchen area. The kitchen serves at least two meals per day during the school year and has a stand alone ventilation unit and water heaters. The pool has some ventilation that uses energy and does consume a large portion of the fossil fuels for this district in heating the water for the pool and heating the pool area itself.