Dorchester County Public Schools (DCPS) is one of the most underserved school districts in Maryland, but is stretching its dollars by turning to geothermal heat pumps to replace aging HVAC systems fueled by oil and gas. DCPS is debunking the myth that clean energy technologies cost more. Located in a low-income community with 15% of the district’s families living below the poverty level, the district operates with a tight budget and understands that raising taxes is not a feasible solution to increase revenue. I
Chris Hague, Director of Operations of Dorchester County Public Schools, knew he had to be strategic when planning for school infrastructure upgrades. ,According to Hague, “We’re good at squeezing nickels into dimes, and we’re proud of it.” When Hague was reviewing HVAC replacement options, he decided to run a life cycle cost analysis of switching to an efficient geothermal heating and cooling system. Hague said about the results, “The real eye-watering numbers are what it costs to operate and maintain an inefficient system for its lifetime.” Seeing that geothermal heat pumps provided the most cost savings over the lifetime of the system, the district decided to make the switch. In 1997, Choptank Elementary School made history by becoming the first school in Maryland to install geothermal heat pumps, leaving behind their hefty energy bills and use of fossil fuels for heating and cooling the building.
Illustration of a geothermal heating and cooling system
The upfront cost of retrofitting the school’s energy system was high, but in the long term, the school has saved more than enough money on its energy bill to make it worth the investment. Hague says, “When you look at the total lifecycle cost, you won’t find anything that will beat geothermal heat pumps in an institutional setting like a school.” The geothermal heat pump system at Choptank Elementary School is projected to save the district anywhere from $225,000-$300,000 over its 25-year lifespan.
When you look at the total lifecycle cost, you won’t find anything that will beat geothermal heat pumps in an institutional setting like a school. – Chris Hague, DCPS Director of Operations
The success of geothermal heat pumps at Choptank Elementary paved the way for DCPS to install more geothermal systems and for other Maryland school districts to follow suit. DCPS has installed them in eight more schools since its initial installation in 1997. In addition, DCPS willingness to pioneer the technology in Maryland has influenced other school districts to move forward with it. The state’s building performance standards require an evaluation of the use of renewable energy systems for any new K-12 school construction project or major renovation. Because of DCPS leadership, geothermal technologies must be considered in the energy consumption analysis and life cycle cost analysis of a new state building. 
North Dorchester High School is one of the buildings in the district using ground source heat pump technology│Photo Credit: Hord Coplan Macht
The Choptank Elementary School geothermal system has saved the district between $135,000 and $180,000 in the 15 years it has been in service, averaging $9,000-$12,000 in savings per year. These savings have allowed the district to survive multiple recessions and changes in funding without having to lay off staff.
By cutting energy costs — instead of cutting staff — the district’s geothermal projects have put students and teachers first. Hague said: “No one is going to give us money. Only we can help ourselves, take the money we do have, and do the best that we can with it. If we work really hard at that, we stand a chance to make our own luck and use the cost savings to do more for our students and teachers.”
These savings have allowed the district to survive multiple recessions and changes in funding without having to lay off staff.
In August 2024, Dorchester County Public Schools was awarded $1.6 million from the Maryland Energy Administration’s Decarbonizing Public Schools program to further improve their district-wide energy data management, increase energy efficiency, and install solar at an elementary school in pursuit of net-zero energy operations. According to the district, these grant funds provide an opportunity to explore and utilize new energy technologies that may have otherwise been out of reach.
