Over 55 million students in the United States spend their
days in schools that are hazardous to their health. This
is because conventional schools are designed only to meet
minimum code, which holds no specific objective towards creating
healthy and productive learning environments.
Few states, for instance, regulate air quality in schools
or provide minimum ventilation standards. According to the
US General Accounting Office, 14 million students (over a
quarter of all students) attend schools considered "below
standard or dangerous." The same study found that air
is unfit to breathe in nearly 15 thousand schools.
Do the math - and a large number of studies have – there
is no doubt that schools have an effect on student and teacher
health. Illness, increased incidences of asthma, absenteeism
and low test scores are often reported as common side-effects
in conventionally designed schools.
To counter these ill-effects, designers and architects are
building sustainable schools that incorporate the latest
in "green design." While not the norm now, these
so-called high performance schools could soon set the new
standard within the next 25 years.
With "baby-boomer-era" buildings reaching the
end of their life spans, the US is in a new wave of construction.
According to a recent article in Time Magazine, New Jersey
is now requiring all new school buildings to meet stricter
environmental standards, and California and Massachusetts
are putting in millions to "green" their classrooms.
Built right, green schools provide productive learning environments
that are safe for both students and teachers. Indeed, numerous
studies have shown the design and construction of green schools
to positively impact student health, test scores, teacher
retention, school operational costs, and the environment.
They also save costs.
According to the US Green Buildings Council (USGBC), green
schools save, on average, $100,000 per year. This enough
to hire two new teachers, buy 500 new computers or purchase
5,000 new textbooks.
Furthermore, if all new school construction and school renovations
went green starting today, energy savings alone would total
more than $20 billion over the next 10 years.
Why green schools?
Green schools typically contain the following elements:
effective use of natural light; fresh air; open floor plans
and renewable energy systems that use electricity and water
efficiently. They are reported to use 33% (one-third) less
energy than conventionally designed schools. Considering
how the US is responsible for about one quarter of global
greenhouse gas emissions, and that the building sector is
responsible for over 40% of US CO2 emissions, this reduction
is substantial.
The US Green Buildings Council is a nonprofit
organization made up of building industry leaders. Its rating
system for buildings - Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design, or LEED – is being used by an increasing number
of schools in the US.
In 2001, there were four schools asking for LEED certification.
Now there are close to 400, and so far, 58 schools have been
certified for meeting requirements.
The LEED rating system sets the standard in building design
to protect natural areas; limit the amount of chemicals in
building materials;employ natural lighting and improve indoor
air quality.
LEED buildings are also rated on how well they use energy
and water, and on their recycling programs.
In Alexandria, Virginia, T.C. Williams High School was one
school recently rebuilt "green" based on the LEED
rating system. Its many windows provide natural lighting
in its classrooms; a rooftop garden helps to monitor building
temperatures; and an underground tank that can store over
a million litres of rainwater is used for air conditioning
and other systems. The new building cost about ninety million
dollars to build. It stands next to the old building, which
officials say will slowly be taken apart and recycled.
Higher building costs are a major obstacle to making green
schools the norm. In a 2005 survey by Turner Construction
Company, the majority of the 665 senior executives surveyed
stated they were discouraged from going green because of
concerns about cost. At the same time, among those executives
involved with green schools, over 70% reported that green
schools reduced student absenteeism and improved student
performance.
The USGBC points to a report by Capital E, a Washington,
D.C., company that serves the clean energy industry. Capital
E examined the cost of thirty green schools in the United
States. It concluded that the cost may be 2% higher compared
to a traditional school, but this is small compared to the
savings that accrue over time from lower energy and water
costs and healthier students.
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