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July 1, 2009
Green Schools May Get a Boost in 2009
With stimulus funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) already being funneled to school districts with shovel-ready projects and a school modernization bill working its way through Congress, more federal dollars than ever will soon be available for schools to make much-needed green improvements.
In May 2009, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the 21st Century Green High-Performing Public School Facilities Act (H.R. 2187), which would authorize $6.4 billion in fiscal year 2010 for school districts to modernize, renovate, and repair their buildings. (The funds would still need to be appropriated through the federal budget.) A key provision of the bill requires that a majority of funds (ramping up to 100% by 2015) be used on projects that meet green standards—those outlined by well-established programs like LEED, Energy Star, and the Collaborative for High-Performance Schools. The bill also authorizes separate funds to be used specifically in communities that have been affected by natural disasters—as in New Orleans, where the Recovery School District has already committed to building all new facilities to LEED Silver standards.
The Senate version of the bill has not yet been brought to a vote. If passed, it would likely authorize a similar amount of funding, with a provision for disaster-stricken areas, but would make the money available through competitive grants, prioritizing districts with the greatest need. Although the Senate version does not require that the money be spent on green measures, it is expected to give preference to green projects when awarding the grants. Either version of the bill could direct more than $32 billion to green schools over the next five years.
That amount is a “drop in the bucket” compared to what’s actually needed to bring U.S. schools up to date, according to Rachel Gutter, senior manager for the education sector at the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). Gutter cited a study by the American Federation of Teachers that estimated $255 billion would be needed to properly renovate existing U.S. public schools. But the actual amount of money could be less important than what the bill may do to raise the national profile of green schools. “This bill is a historic moment for us in the green schools movement because it has made real the concept of green schools in the public discussion,” Gutter told
EBN.
Green schools funding from ARRA has proven somewhat difficult to track—the best source may be the National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities (
www.ncef.org)—so it may also be tricky to follow specific projects enabled by the green schools bill. For many districts, major deferred maintenance will be the first priority—projects like upgrading mechanical systems and installing new windows, in which the green option is also the logical choice for operational savings down the road.
Most larger districts won’t need help figuring out how to put the federal funds to work greening their schools—Gutter pointed out that school districts in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Montgomery County, Maryland, are leading the way, having already committed to green standards for new construction and major renovations. Smaller districts, on the other hand, may be scrambling to get up to speed. USGBC’s Build Green Schools program has conducted a series of webinars on ways to use stimulus funding; Energy Star and the Department of Energy’s EnergySmart Schools program also offer resources. Other tools may offer region-specific guidance; one new example is the Green Classroom Toolbox created by Ihab Elzeyadi, an architecture professor at the University of Oregon. The tool includes a checklist of best practices and a prioritization guide for schools in three regions of Oregon, and is aimed specifically at green retrofits for existing school buildings.
Retrofitting existing buildings may be the trend to watch in green schools, at least for the immediate future. “Ninety percent of my conversations are about greening existing schools,” Gutter told
EBN. Federal funds are not the only driving force: many school districts are partnering with energy services companies (ESCOs) to do performance contracting, which offers a means of financing energy upgrades with the projected energy cost savings. With new construction slowed down, retrofits can help districts reap the highest return on their investments: “With existing schools,” said Gutter, “it’s not a moment in time, it’s a process—a journey of incremental change that brings savings at every step.”
– Andrea Ward
For more information:
Estimates of how the federal funds would be allocated by state and individual school district are available for download at: http://edlabor.house.gov/blog/2009/05/estimates-of-state-and-school.shtml
USGBC’s Build Green Schools
www.buildgreenschools.org
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In addition to serving its student population, the North Clackamas High School acts as a center for the larger community. Divided into four two-story academic houses with a central library/media area, the building provides flexibility and the integration of instruction, technology, and spaces for social interaction and community use. |
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Photo: Michael Mathers for Boora Architects
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