The New Case for Green Schools

Environmentally smart design can help raise test scores, cheer staff, and boost a district's bottom line.

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Forget the notion that going green is merely hip. Administrators have an arsenal of reasons to advocate for environmentally friendly building design and operation. A green school is healthier. It can improve student performance and provide hands-on learning opportunities. Most importantly: Going green saves money, big time.

"Schools spend more money on energy than books and computers combined," says Merrilee Harrigan, vice president for education at the Alliance to Save Energy in Washington, D.C. School buildings are one of the least efficient building types. As much as 25 percent of energy use in K-12 schools is wasted—with lights and computers as the biggest energy zappers, according to Harrigan. This "invisible expense" can be tough to tackle.

But with schools looking to cut costs and nearly everyone embracing environmentalism, more school leaders are beginning to think green when it comes to new construction, renovation, and building operation.

In 2007, the U.S. Green Building Council developed a recognized green building certification system known as LEED—Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. About 1,750 schools have been LEED certified or are in the process of being certified—with another one or two added to the list every day. "It's safe to say it's a movement," says Rachel Gutter, director of the council's education sector. "Our goal is that every child attends a green school within a generation.

"Using less water and energy, green schools on average can save $100,000 per year in operating expenses, according to the council. Research shows that students in schools with natural light have fewer absences, are more productive, and show a faster progression in math and reading. Also, an environmentally friendly school provides teachable moments in conservation.

Green schools don't have to be brand new, emphasizes Gutter. Buildings can be retrofitted and operations can be improved through recycling programs and green cleaning processes.

Here's a look at what's happening across the country with green schools.

Great Seneca Creek Elementary School, Germantown, Maryland
From the minute students enter Great Seneca Creek Elementary School, they are learning about the environment. Behind the entrance's blue steps is a mural showing the water cycle. It's one of many features in this school reminding kids to care for Earth.

Great Seneca Creek, designed by Maryland's Grimm + Parker Architects of Calverton, Maryland, opened in 2006 and was the first LEED school in Maryland. In the bathrooms, kids get a kick out of the waterless urinals, low-flow faucets, and stalls made out of recycled plastic, says Principal Gregory Edmundson. Then there are the "under-the-hood" features—such as the geothermal heating and cooling systems—that are major energy savers.

In its first year of operation, Great Seneca used the least amount of energy of all schools in Montgomery County, Maryland-about half as much as the average. It also used about half as much water and is saving the county about $27,000 per year in energy efficiency.

Between the building features and the green curriculum it inspires, students are getting the message to conserve. "If they are learning this consciousness at age 5, what type of environmentally savvy kids will they be when they are 25?" asks Edmundson. "They just get it. It's part of their lives. You become a product of your environment."

Myers Elementary School, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania
When Myers Elementary School needed to be upgraded, the goal was to maintain the character of the original building (circa 1922, with a connecting addition in 1966), which is nestled on a four-acre plot outside of Philadelphia where families walk their children to school. At the same time, the school needed to be modernized and made more energy efficient.

Officials originally wanted historical renovation. While the school board also wanted a building that would cost less money to operate, it took some education and a tour of a nearby green school to get them to agree to a green renovation, says Lorna Rosenberg, who works for the Environmental Protection Agency. Not only did Rosenberg serve as the LEED advocate for the project, but her children had attended Myers in the past.

The state gave Myers a green school planning grant and the school receives a rebate from the state DOE for each student enrolled to help offset costs.

In the construction process, the shell of the building remained, as well as many of the internal structures and the original bricks. Inside the building, which opened in 2009, efficient heating and cooling systems were installed. Solar panels in the bathroom help operate the sinks and students can see it all working right at eye level.

"You walk through and get a sense of the old and new blended beautifully," Rosenberg says. "As a project, it's not glitzy. It is just a well-run building that is practical and will pay back in good health and reduced operation costs."

Clackamas High School, Clackamas, Oregon
The 2,400 students bustling through the halls of Clackamas High School just outside of Portland don't leave much of a trace. Principal Matt Utterback thinks students don't litter because they respect their surroundings. "When kids feel good about the space they are in, they do better academically and they take better care of the school," he says.

Students might not entirely understand the unique cooling, heating, and ventilation systems that make the school energy efficient, but they do enjoy how the building looks and feels, the principal adds. "The lighting in the building is just amazing. There are tons of windows, courtyards in between, and openness," he says. "When it's bright and you can look out, it improves your demeanor and attitude."

A unique natural ventilation system provides fresh air to the classrooms, and sensors make sure light and air are used only as needed. The building and surrounding land are used as teaching tools. Students in science classes can monitor solar panels on the roof and biology students study habitat in the nearby, low-maintenance wetlands.

Pine Jog Elementary School, West Palm Beach, Florida
Students at Pine Jog Elementary have their fingers on the pulse of the school's energy use—truly. There are two monitoring screens that any student can touch to see how much water the school is using and how much solar energy it is generating. The information is broken down by hours in the day, so kids can see that when the sun is at its highest peak, the panels are at maximum production.

"The screens are used all the time and teachers have access to the information to use for class projects," says Principal Fred Barch.

Opened in 2009, Pine Jog was the state's first LEED school. "This is a great statement to have this school as a Title I school," Barch says. "I know these kids realize they are in a special situation." They are bringing the message of sustainability home. Last year, in a school survey, 30 percent of students said they recycled. By the end of the year, 70 percent did.

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