Dist. 303 gets a little greener, thanks to one mom

Polly Rerko is always looking for little ways to help the environment.

She reuses plastic bags and water bottles, rides a bicycle when possible and runs the air conditioner conservatively.

Then there's the fluorescent lightbulbs in Rerko's house and the four-cylinder car she drives instead of a sport utility vehicle.

"There's very little I won't do," the St. Charles mother of two said. "If nothing else, you can give up just a teeny bit of your creature comforts."

So when Rerko noticed idling cars lined up every morning and afternoon at Wild Rose Elementary School, which is across the street from her house on Thornly Road, she saw an opportunity.

She went to her parent-teacher organization, and eventually St. Charles School District 303 administrators, with a pitch to put up signs encouraging drivers to shut off their cars while waiting to pick up or drop off students.

The idea was a hit at Wild Rose last spring and debuted districtwide this school year with signs -- they read, "Please Turn Off Your Engine While Waiting" -- at all 17 district schools.

"I'm absolutely thrilled," Rerko said, praising administrators for advocating for the project. "There's no down side to this."

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, shutting off a vehicle engine instead of idling for 30 seconds or more not only reduces emissions but also conserves fuel.

The conservation can only be expounded upon when dozens -- if not hundreds -- of vehicles in St. Charles pitch in each day.

Assistant Superintendent John Baird praised Rerko for not only coming up with the idea -- but also doing something about it.

"She sort of created a committee by herself, came up with a great idea, and it escalated," he said. "It was a home run."

So far, Rerko said, parents seem to be paying attention to the signs at Wild Rose. After all, she's been watching from her front window.

"It's such a no-brainer -- that's the beauty of this," she said.

As for her next conservation effort in District 303?

"I've been thinking about it," Rerko said. "Maybe water faucets that can turn themselves off?"