New tools aid development of green schools
District officials interested in creating environmentally sustainable “green schools” can get lots of help from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), according to Rachel Gutter, the council’s education sector manager.
Gutter, who spoke at two sessions at the annual conference, said green schools can save more than $100,000 a year in operating expenses, through better use of daylight and other energy-saving methods. They also have better ventilation, which can reduce asthma, leading to better attendance rates.
More than 130 schools had been LEED-certified by the end of 2008, and more than 1,000 had applied for certification, Gutter says. The USGBC’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design system sets benchmarks for the design, construction, and operation of high-performance green buildings.
Most LEED-certified schools are brand-new schools or schools that have undergone major renovations. The USGBC Green Excellence in Existing Schools (Green Ex2) initiative offers a toolkit and training to help school officials transform existing schools into green schools and attain LEED certification.
School officials can use the Green Ex2 tools to assess and improve interior and exterior building maintenance, cleaning, recycling, grounds keeping, and other systems.
The Green Ex2http://www.buildgreenschools.org/.
The USBG has also been involved in advocacy efforts to get government leaders at all levels to support green schools. Twelve mayors have so far joined the Mayor’s Alliance for Green Schools, which calls for all children to have access to green schools within a generation, for example. Nine states and the District of Columbia have developed policies requiring green schools construction.
And in the U.S. House of Representatives, the Green Schools Caucus, with 64 members, promotes funding to help school districts build and renovate energy-efficient and environmentally friendly schools.