District Administration - June 2009 - (Page 34)

SUSTAINABLE SCHOOLS ing Technologies to do the job. The contract allows a district to invest in energyefficient improvements paid for in coming years by energy savings. “What you’re trying to do is save dollars, but you’re ultimately saving natural resources,” explains Joe Edgens, Nashville’s executive director of facilities and operations. Siemens has changed the lighting, instituted water conservation technology, and is upgrading the HVAC systems in many buildings, adding sensors to increase energy efficiency. So far, the district has spent $45 million on it but is seeing a $3 million annual return on investment in energy savings. It should get the investment back—probably within 20 years— or Siemens will pay the difference. Seventeen companies, such as Johnson Controls, Honeywell and Trane, are accredited by the National Association of Energy Companies to do sustainability work. In choosing one, Edgens cautions, “check the financial background of the SPECIAL SECTION company, because you’re asking them to guarantee your savings over time.” Grass Roots to Going Green Other school districts are taking a more homegrown approach in dealing with sustainability, thanks to various statewide programs. In 2004-2005 the Minnesota Healthy Sustainable Schools programs ran a demonstration project that the bigger picture, providing an online storehouse of sustainability information and working with districts to incorporate sustainability as a strategic goal and to involve the larger community. “The most educated countries have the biggest ecological footprints,” says SOSI director Lori Stole. “And in the long term—with other countries developing—we’d need four Earths to support our lifestyle.” “There’s a lot of friendly competition between states and districts to be on the forefront.” —Ariel Dekovic, communications and membership manager, Collaborative for High Performing Schools provided a sustainability site coordinator at three schools for one year. “Over the years, one of the main cries from schools was for someone dedicated to these issues,” says Linda Countryman, who directed the project for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. A site coordinator can bring in experts and coordinate with school staff, as well as ensure implementation, she says. Houston (Minn.) Public Schools, which has two buildings and 450 students, received a detailed analysis of energy use, costs, and recommendations for savings, including turning hall lights on at 7:30 a.m. instead of 5 a.m. and reducing hot water temperature. The report prepared by Houston’s site coordinator also imposed a “no idling” policy for vehicles awaiting students and eliminated kitchen waste and toxic substances, including cleaning products and any residual mercury. For Superintendent Kim Ross, the most immediate impact was in engaging the community. “You’re looking at a systemic behavioral change,” Ross says. Houston’s first victory was in recycling. Buying less toxic cleaning products and more energy-efficient lightbulbs, fixtures, and energy-saving devices on vending machines followed. In one year, the district saved $12,000 in electricity and gas. In the Hutchinson Public Schools across the state, the high school saved 420,000 gallons of water in a year by switching to waterless urinals. Focused on the Bigger Picture While projects like Countryman’s stress small changes, the Sustainable Oregon Schools Initiative (SOSI) focuses on The Gladstone School District has emerged as the earliest adopter of SOSI principles, but Superintendent Bob Stewart felt challenged when the district expanded the high school’s science education area by 22,000 square feet. Stewart notes that the LEED-certified addition would still use 80 percent of the energy an ordinary building would consume, so the district aimed higher—by 2012, energy consumption in the 192,00-square-foot expanded high school would be the same as when it was 170,000 square feet. What emerged was a building designed to support up to 20,000 square feet of solar panels on the roof and generate up to 200 kilowatts of electricity for the building to draw on. The new building also steers rainwater from its roof through detention ponds and bioswales—shallow waterways lined with plant life—providing cleaner storm drainage via tributaries to the nearby Clackamas River. Other advocates for school sustainability predict that innovations in school construction will continue to expand. “The current administration’s focus on system design and alternative design is going to lead to new ideas,” says architect Timothy Dufault. “More solar cells and wind turbines may be too expensive right now but may become more bountiful.” And the USGBC’s Rachel Gutter expects the green movement in schools to accelerate. “With technological advances,” she says, “the Platinum of today may be the Silver of tomorrow.” DA Ron Schachter is a contributing writer for District Administration. District Administration 34 June/July 2009 http://www.pitsco.com/gogreen http://www.pitsco.com/gogreen

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of District Administration - June 2009

District Administration - June 2009
Contents
From the Editor
News Update
Stimulus Monitor
District Profile
Admin Profile
Crisis Response
Tech Disruptions
A Deeper Shade of Green
The New School Lunch
Business Brings Sustainable Lessons to School
A Netbook for Every Student
Vision Videos Empower Students
New Books
How Well Does This Web Site Work?
New Products
Problem Solution
Online Edge

District Administration - June 2009