With a scheduled vote looming later this month, Naperville School District 203’s board of education has weighed in on the City of Naperville’s future with the Illinois Municipal Electric Agency (IMEA) for energy procurement.
Joseph Kozminski and Marc Willensky, who serve as board liaisons for Naperville 203’s carbon action plan (CAP), drafted a position statement that indicates the full elected body “strongly opposes” a continuation of the city’s contract with IMEA beyond the current 2035 sunset. A 20-year contract extension through 2055 has been proposed.
What the position statement says
Kozminski and Willensky’s position statement, approved at the board’s Monday, Aug. 4, meeting, noted Naperville 203’s status as a “major consumer” of the electricity offered through the city and made the distinction as the basis for the official announcement.
The statement reviews some of the core components of the district’s carbon action plan, including the ultimate benchmark of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
“The greenhouse gas inventory done as a part of the CAP found that 61% of the district’s emissions comes from purchased electricity, primarily from coal-burning power plants, which account for about 80% of IMEA’s power generation,” the statement, in part, reads.
Another portion of the statement summarizes Naperville 203’s position: “In order to work toward a more sustainable future for our students, staff and community, we strongly oppose a contract extension with IMEA and urge the City of Naperville to explore cleaner and more flexible energy sources that support our CAP.”
The full text of the position statement can be viewed on Board Docs, the platform used for uploading meeting documents. The Aug. 4 meeting link features the position statement on agenda item 9.02.
Kozminski, Willensky detail why they drafted the statement
At the recent board meeting, Kozminski and Willensky outlined the rationale for weighing in on the IMEA contract extension proposal to 2055, which has been a hot topic across Naperville as 2025 has unfolded. The CAP and the strong role student voice played in its creation were among the reasons cited for drafting the document.
Speaking to Naperville 203’s CAP, Willensky said, “There are going to be bumps in the road as we look at our long-term goal of achieving being carbon neutral. I don’t necessarily see the contract renewal as a bump in the road; I see it as an opportunity for us.”
Willensky added, “It’s an opportunity for the board to stand behind the carbon action plan and really make it clear to the community that the right answer for us, in order to be successful with our carbon action plan, is for the city to maintain its flexibility and be able to source its energy from clean and renewable sources.”
Kozminski said Naperville 203’s CAP is intended to be a living, breathing document with specific benchmarks.
“I’m proud of the district for the strong carbon action plan that we’ve put together … with difficult, but achievable, net zero emissions goals by 2050, and a 35% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 2035,” Kozminski said. “If the contract is extended, that 2050 net zero goal would be very challenging.”
Speaking to student input, Kozminski added, “They are the ones who are going to be impacted, really, in the long-term if this contract is extended.”
Other board members share their support
Ultimately, the Naperville 203 board voted unanimously in favor of the position statement as presented at the Aug. 4 meeting. Several of Kozminski and Willensky’s elected colleagues voiced their support before the vote was taken.
“I know that it’s not typical for us, as a board, to weigh in on other public entities’ business, but this one feels very different to me, because we represent a large portion of our community, and a large portion is our kids,” board member Kristine Gericke said. “We have to look out for their future.”
Board member Holly Blastic said the position statement is an opportunity for the board to represent the Naperville 203 constituents who live outside the city’s boundaries.
“Their funds come to us, and we are their voice, and so I think that is another reason that it’s really important that we take this stance when so many of our buildings … are served by the Naperville utility,” Blastic said. “We are the only voice they have, and they are impacted just as much by climate change and learning outcomes, and the health impact.”
The Naperville City Council recently held a workshop on energy procurement options. A vote on the IMEA 20-year contract extension is scheduled to take place at the upcoming Aug. 19 meeting.
Photo Credit: Adobe
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