FORT ATKINSON, Wis. -- The Fort Atkinson School District has incorporated renewable energy into their schools and green education into their curriculum.

VIDEO: Watch The Report

A referendum in 2006 allowed the district to look into renewable energy. The effort has seen strong support and has been growing this year.

Fort Atkinson middle school students renew their energy over lunch, and their building stores the energy.

"I think they're intrigued by it," said James Fitzpatrick, superintendent of the Fort Atkinson School District.

The intrigue surrounds the district's renovation of the heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems at four district schools.

"We are trying to be conscious of reducing our energy costs by using a renewable source," said Fitzpatrick.

The renewable source in this case is a geothermal energy system. A water mixture comes from wells deep below the football field and circulated through pumps to heat or cool the middle school.

"All of the sudden, we saw what this geothermal could do," Fitzpatrick said.

The district said it has already saved more than $40,000 in heating and cooling costs since the system was built -- a number that is expected to double this year.

Looking to save even more and investigate other renewable resources, the district installed solar panels above the Sharks' swimming pool.

"It costs a lot to heat pools," said Fitzpatrick.

Dennis Kuckenmeister, director of Buildings and Grounds Architect, said the heating the pool will require no outside energy.

"Although this wasn't originally planned to be tied into the geothermal system, we have since done so," said Kuckenmeister. "So, with the geothermal, [the solar panels] will have the capability of totally heating the swimming pool."

While saving on utility bills is an accomplishment in itself, the district said the real success is found in the eco-friendly message to students.

"The youth are the ones who embrace conservation better than anybody," said Fitzpatrick.

The district also installed energy saving light bulbs with lower wattage and higher efficiency lamps. That switch alone is expected to save the district $70,000 annually in utility costs.

The district is still investigating other renewable energy options, and said they looking into installing wind power at Fort Atkinson High School.