From the Desk of...
Sonny Savoie, President, National School Boards Association, 2009-2010
 It might not seem like a natural fit – school boards and green – but the decisions school boards are making across the country, particularly where facilities are concerned, are changing the face of education for the better. When you look at school districts, which collectively are the largest public employer in the country, the opportunity is there to put green policies in place in order to make our schools more efficient and energy savvy.
The National School Boards Association (NSBA) has been a part of the green schools conversation since 2003, when we endorsed the EnergySmart Schools program from the U.S. Department of Energy. This year, NSBA’s Delegate Assembly, made up of representatives from all of our state school boards associations, passed a resolution urging Congress to support school district efforts “to provide an opportunity for every child in America to attend a green school that creates a healthy environment conducive to learning while saving energy, resources, and money.”
We know that a good education is not just about reading and math scores, but encompasses all facets – music, arts, history, science and technology, and a safe and healthy learning environment. NSBA’s efforts to work with our state school boards associations and school districts as they work with the stimulus funds to modernize and restructure schools all across America will include encouraging them to make smart choices when it comes to energy and the environment.
C.H. “Sonny” Savoie, was named the 62nd president of the National School Boards Association (NSBA) at the association’s 2009 annual conference. A member of the St. Charles Parish, La., school board for 23 years, Savoie has held various offices, including president and past president of the board, and has been a member of the NSBA Board of Directors since 2002.
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National Green Schools Spotlight
Funding for Green Schools Gains Renewed Momentum in Congress
The 111th Congress showed its commitment to green schools last month, taking a significant step closer to investing billions of dollars in healthy, energy-efficient schools. On May 14, the House of Representatives passed the 21st Century Green High Performing Public School Facilities Act (H.R. 2187). If passed by the Senate and signed into law by President Obama, H.R. 2187 would authorize $6.4 billion for school renovation and modernization projects for fiscal year 2010. The bill would authorize an additional $100 million for each fiscal year from 2010 through 2015 for supplemental grants for school districts in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama that were affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Representative David Loebsack (D-IA) expressed his support of the legislation, noting that “everything about green schools is a win-win for our taxpayers, our teachers, and most importantly, our children.” Passed by a bipartisan majority with a vote of 275-155, H.R. 2187 reaffirms that green schools sit at the intersection of our economic, environmental, and educational future.
The Act would require that school districts direct an increasing percentage of funds received to projects consistent with identified green building rating systems, including LEED®, starting with half of such funds in 2010 and reaching 100 percent by 2015. Calling the legislation “a victory for students, workers, and our planet,” Representative George Miller (D-CA), Chairman of the House Committee on Education and Labor, emphasized the Act’s ability to assist in a national transition to a green economy. H.R. 2187 follows closely on the heels of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which allows schools and districts to utilize funds they receive through the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund for school modernization, repair, and renovation projects, potentially bringing green schools – and green jobs – to communities across the country.
H.R. 2187 brings back to life much of the language of H.R. 3021, which was passed by the House last summer, but was not considered by the Senate last year. However, this year Senator Tom Harkin, (D-IA) introduced similar legislation, the School Building Fairness Act of 2009 (S. 1121), which now awaits consideration in the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. USGBC will be watching this legislation closely.
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Project Profile
Imago Dei Middle School, Tucson, Ariz.
 “It is the spirit of the child that can determine the course of human progress and lead it perhaps even to a higher form of civilization.” – Maria Montessori
Each year, middle school students from across the country participate in the Council of Educational Facility Planners International (CEFPI)’s School of the Future Design Competition. Each student group designs a school that will enhance learning and conserve resources. Students submit design models and a written narrative, and present before several juries of experts. Winners of this year’s Award of Excellence, students from Imago Dei Middle School (Tucson, Ariz.) looked to their surroundings and community for their inspiration, choosing an abandoned site as a location and reusing remnants from a vacant building to make their model. The lessons learned went beyond design and construction and connected the students to themes of sustainability on a global scale as they reached out to their community, as well as peers as far away as France and Mali for ideas. Their teacher, Linda Cato, reflects on the experiences of her students in the competition and the lessons they continue to learn together.
USGBC: What drew you to the School of the Future Design Competition?
Linda Cato: From the very first moment I read about the competition, I was on board. The project is everything that I, as a teacher, am passionate about and look for in an educational experience. Designing the school of the future integrates all subject areas, asks open-ended questions, provides opportunity for collaboration and community involvement, and gives experience in tactile, hands-on work while developing the eye for beauty and design.
USGBC: How do you see this project fitting into a broader context for learning?
LC: This project is a springboard for a discussion regarding stewardship, sustainability and social justice. I believe that educating for a sustainable future is the imperative of our time. If we hope to fulfill the vision of sustainability as it pertains to environmental, social and economic realities, we must give our children the fluency to grow into activists, advocates and teachers.
USGBC: What is the role of the teacher in this kind of work?
LC: Teachers must be willing to walk the path of discovery along with their students, because so many new questions are being asked, and so many answers have yet to be found. I am learning to trust in my students’ abilities to grasp the complexities of these issues and wrestle with the urgency of the problems so that solutions can be created.
USGBC: How do you see your students benefiting from this work?
LC: My students are excited. The discussion is open and alive and I am listening to my students and watching as their collective ideas are expressed through their design model. The process of designing and building their model becomes a model itself— of learning, questioning and seeking answers. They make mistakes and correct them. They laugh together. As the building begins to take shape, their ideas can be seen and touched. As an observer, I catch a glimpse of futures shining brightly, students with a strong and clear vision who are developing their voice.
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Ask an Advocate
Craig Flandermeyer, USGBC Indiana Chapter
 As the largest school district in Indiana, serving over 34,000 students, Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) conducted a strategic plan to assess its aging building stock in 2001. In response to this plan, an extensive building project to improve student achievement and facility efficiency began in 2002. Although some buildings were closed due to physical condition and shifting enrollment, the majority of the work has consisted of major mechanical renovations to existing buildings that are 72 years old, on average. The first 25 projects will be constructed over a five-year period with approximately eight buildings beginning design or construction at any one time.
Energy efficiency has been a strong emphasis throughout this project. Renovated buildings are operating at the same or lower utility use after the installation of air conditioning. IPS anticipates realizing even greater savings through LEED. LEED for Schools was chosen by IPS to help the school district show responsibility to its stakeholders. By pursuing LEED certification the district will benefit from third-party verification, financial savings, improved occupant health, and positive results for the environment.
The certification goal for each project is LEED Certified, but the design teams have been challenged to achieve the highest rating possible within the established budgets. As these are existing buildings in urban areas, the plan is to utilize the applicable location-based site credits. There is additional emphasis being given to transportation issues, and the schools are also being designed for joint use by the community. Energy efficiency will be at least 14% better than the ASHRAE 90.1-2004 baseline and commissioning is a part of the design and construction process.
The sheer number of school buildings pursuing certification is a great boost to sustainable design in Indianapolis. Mayor Ballard established an Office of Sustainability in the fall of 2008. That office has focused on identifying opportunities for collaborative and holistic design. The school district’s decision to pursue LEED certification was independent of the City of Indianapolis sustainability initiatives. However, it does fit nicely into the mayor’s programs and helps build momentum within the community.
This project will greatly advance the understanding of LEED for Schools within the community in central Indiana. There are at least 15 surrounding metropolitan school districts that are likely watching to see the results. This project will impact future opinions on the value of LEED in a K-12 school project; thus, it is important that the design and construction teams, project managers and owner work together to make it a success.
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Curriculum Connection
USGBC Educator Institute
 Given that we spend 90% of our time inside buildings, how do we use the environments we live, teach and learn in as educational laboratories? Beginning in July, the U.S. Green Building Council will host a series of Educator Institutes that will explore the use of school buildings as living laboratories. Educators from across the country will convene to share their curriculum ideas and address the challenges of integrating green buildings into education programs. Buildings as Teachers, the first of these Educator Institutes, will convene at Unity College (Unity, Maine), July 16-18.
Starting with an exploration of sustainability in the classroom, this institute offers hands-on activities, a platform for generating ideas, and workshops focused on aligning green building education into new and existing curricula. Facilitated by educators from Unity College, USGBC staff, and experts from the green building and education fields, the event will supply participants from the architecture and education communities with essential resources for optimizing the school building as the context for learning. Students pursuing a degree in education can share and learn about the latest research in the field and provide a voice for the future of school facility planning.
Registration is now open. Housing reservations are available for Unity College’s residence halls. For more information on this event, including a detailed agenda, please visit the Educator Resource Center or e-mail questions to formaled@usgbc.org.
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