It is no secret that school budgets are growing smaller, forcing districts to make tough financial choices. Building operating costs drain a massive portion of most districts' budgets. As such, energy efficiency is a powerful tool to cut short- and long-term operating costs, and reductions in energy use. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) ENERGY STAR[R] program has helped thousands of K-12 school districts across the country to improve the energy performance of their facilities, save money and cut greenhouse gas emissions. ENERGY STAR has successfully delivered energy and cost savings to businesses, consumers and organizations across the country, saving Americans about 18 billion dollars in 2010 alone. Over the past decade, ENERGY STAR has been a driving force behind the growth in use of such technological innovations as efficient fluorescent lighting, power management systems for office equipment and low standby energy use. Many more school districts across the nation are leveraging ENERGY STAR tools and resources to save money, improve efficiency and communicate their goals to students, faculty, and administration. (Contains 1 footnote.)