September 10, 2008—Tens of thousands of students across the US will go back to school this fall to find their halls and classrooms turning green—as in environmentally sound and healthy, energy efficient, and high performing, says the US Green Building Council (USGBC). Hundreds of thousands of additional students are poised to attend environmentally designed schools within the next few years, as well.
As the school year begins, nearly 1,000 school buildings will have met or are seeking LEED certification, with applications growing at a rate of more than one per day. The total number of square feet of LEED certified and registered school space will exceed 100 million square feet as the school year gets underway, according to new figures just released by USGBC.
LEED certification provides parents, teachers, and communities with a “report card” for school buildings—verifying that a school was built to meet the highest level of energy and environmental performance. Through July, more than eight million square feet of school space are certified LEED while another 90 million square feet of projects are registered with USGBC.
Public or private schools in 50 states have turned to the LEED for Schools program for new or renovated buildings, as educators and school leaders increasingly see environmental building as a way to improve air quality for students, teachers, and communities while also cutting energy and water costs, notes USGBC. Maryland, Hawaii, New Jersey, Illinois, Florida, Ohio, Washington, Connecticut, and the District of Columbia already require new schools be built green; California, and Pennsylvania offer strong incentives to follow environmental specifications.
For more information on the LEED for Schools Rating System and a complete lists of schools meeting or registered for LEED certification, visit online.
