Healthy Schools Campaign

Healthy, Efficient and Innovative: Green Schools Legislation Draws Broad Support

by Rochelle Davis, HSC Founding Executive Director

Thanks to all the legislators who made big strides this month toward creating a high-quality learning environment for America’s public schools, reducing schools' negative impact on our environment, and keeping cash in our schools’ coffers to use for education rather than high utility bills.

The 21st Century Green High-Performing Public Schools Facilities Act, just passed by the House of Representatives, would provide school districts nationwide with $6.4 billion to modernize and renovate school buildings -- improving schools’ energy efficiency, bringing schools closer to green building standards, and promoting a healthier environment for students and teachers.

This act marks the first time since 2001 that schools would receive meaningful funding to upgrade facilities, and the first time ever that lawmakers have put green facilities front-and-center, a move that will save significant cash over time. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, energy-efficient schools can reduce their energy usage by 25 percent, creating a nationwide savings of $1.25 billion and 23 million fewer tons of carbon emissions.

By 2013, 90 percent of this act’s funding would be put toward green projects, ensuring that benefits will keep rippling through school districts as they improve indoor air quality and use greener construction methods.

HSC works to promote healthy, energy efficient schools through resources such as our Guide to Healthy, High Performing Schools and events such as our recent breakfast briefing on schools and climate change. HSC also successfully advocated for legislation requiring that all new schools built in Illinois meet energy-efficient green design standards.

We applaud the lawmakers who supported this important federal legislation, and look forward to continuing the work of helping schools protect our environment while providing the best possible learning experiences for children.

Danger in the EXIT Sign

by Rochelle Davis, HSC Founding Executive Director

Did you know that many self-luminous EXIT signs commonly found in schools and other public places contain radioactive tritium that can create harmful exposures to humans? The dangerous exposure can occur if signs leak and when they are disposed of.

The issue of dangerous chemicals inside the ubiquitous EXIT sign highlights the need for us to consider the possible health impact of each detail that goes into a school building. Children are especially vulnerable to this type of exposure.

If you would like to learn more, check out this online course offered by the US. EPA Office of Radiation and Indoor Air. 

Connecting the Issues of Food and Global Climate Change

by Rochelle Davis, HSC Founding Executive Director

Anna Lappe  (a bestselling author and advocate for sustainability and food justice) has just launched a new website on the connection between food and global climate change as she researches a new book, “Eat the Sky: Food, Farming and Climate Change.” 

Given Healthy Schools Campaign’s dual priorities on environmental issues and food and fitness, it is interesting to see how these two issue become connected. 

For us, the connection has been made around our work on healthy and high performing school construction.  For those of you familiar with the term “healthy and high performing,” you know that “healthy” generally refers to  healthy indoor air and “high performing” refers to energy efficiency.  The guidance document that we worked on with more than 40 stakeholders here in Illinois integrates a broader notion of health by incorporating recommendations that include kitchen facilities that can produce healthy food.   

Anna Lappe makes the connection between our two program areas even stronger when she connects food production and distribution to climate change.  We will look forward to reading her book.

Updates & Resources from the Green Schools Caucus

by Rochelle Davis, HSC Founding Executive Director

Last Wednesday, the U.S. House of Representative’s Green Schools Caucus met to continue the discussion of the benefits of green school construction.  In addition to saving money on energy costs, green schools can support student learning and promote health among everyone who uses the building. 

I was really looking forward to hearing from Dr. Richard Abernathy, a Superintendent from Arkansas who built the first green schools in that state, and from Franklin Brown of the Ohio Department of Education, who spoke about Ohio’s commitment to green school construction.  Unfortunately, I was one of the many travelers flying on American Airlines who did not make it to my destination last week.   

I will try to attend the next meeting and, for now, I will stay in touch through the Green Schools Caucus website – it’s a great resource for everyone interested in the issues surrounding green schools.

More Good News about Green Schools

by Claris Olson, HSC Environmental Health Specialist

Aren’t green schools just the best?  If you aren’t convinced yet, check out this article from the School Library Journal that profiles green schools across the country. 

The article includes information from the early leaders like Fossil Ridge High School in Ft. Collins, Colorado to one of our favorites -- the Great Seneca Elementary School in Germantown, Maryland. 

In addition to saving money through more energy efficient building design, these school buildings are also reducing their emissions of carbon dioxide, one of the most significant contributors to global warming. 

Of course, energy efficiency is only one piece of the pie that makes for a sustainable school.  The U.S.  Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for schools also includes criteria for other important attributes such as sustainable site selection, water efficiency, sustainable materials and indoor air quality.   

From the relatively short-term benefits in energy savings to the long-term benefits of a better, healthier learning environment for students to reducing global warming -- we can’t afford not to go green.   

Thirty Years after Love Canal: First National Guidelines on School Siting to Be Established

Today we have a guest blog from Stacey Gonzalez of the Center for Health, Environment & Justice.

Wow. We did it.

After six years of pressure on the government to create school siting guidelines that would prevent a school from being built on contaminated land, they have finally moved. Within the 800-page energy bill signed into law in December by President Bush were written these simple words:

Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this section, the Administrator, in consultation with the Secretary of Education and the Secretary of Health and Human Services, shall issue voluntary school site selection guidelines that account for (1) the special vulnerability of children to hazardous substances or pollution exposures in any case in which the potential for contamination at a potential school site exists...

This is huge!

This is the first time the federal government has given state legislatures direction when it comes to laws protecting where schools may be physically sited in relationship to toxic contamination sites. Prior to this legislation, no such federal instruction existed. Forty-five states do not have laws that prevent schools from being located next to toxic contamination sites.

However...Your work in the streets to protect your children from this huge gap in common sense legislation, to protect your kids from sitting every day in a school house filled with carcinogenic chemicals, from playing ball on fields laced with carelessly dumped toxins. . . your work is the real work that we celebrate.

Although we are thrilled that these small words will lead to federal guidelines on school siting, the real work still lays in the hands of grassroots groups across the country, to take to their state governments and demand that they draft and pass into law adequate and health-protecting school siting legislation, siting laws that will  prevent cash-strapped school districts from being the repositories for cheap and contaminated land left behind by big industry.

It is our hope that these federal guidelines will create the foundation, the impetus, the federal directive, to help compel states to make the right decision and pass their own school siting laws.

Congratulations to all of you who have worked with us over the years on this important issue. We couldn't have done it without you.

CDC Study Highlights Progress on School Environmental Health

by Claris Olson, HSC Environmental Health Specialist

The Center for Disease Control has released a new study, Healthy and Safe School Environment Part II, Physical School Environment [pdf], which details the status of school environmental health throughout the U.S.

The study provides background information and specific citations on the health vulnerabilities of children and the health risks they face at school: those associated with indoor air quality, diesel exhaust from school buses, hazardous materials, pesticides, drinking water and lead.  The bulk of the study is a nationwide survey of the environmental practices that affect children’s health, at the school level and the school district level. 

It’s great to see this type of large-scale study recognize and examine the issues that we know are important to children’s health and readiness to learn.

As the CDC report says, “As society continues to focus on the importance of academic achievement, the school physical environment should be addressed as a critical factor that influences academic outcomes.”

This type of broad data shows how much work remains ahead of us all in our efforts to provide healthy school environments for all students, teachers and school staff. But it also highlights the substantial good work that is being done around the country to make schools safer, healthier places.

The survey found that one third of districts have an indoor air quality management plan; more than one third have a school bus engine-idling reduction program; most districts and schools have plans for how to store, dispose of, and reduce the use of hazardous materials.  One fourth of states require schools to follow an integrated pest management program, reducing the misuse of pesticides.

The study also shows that green building is beginning to catch on, with 13.4 percent of school districts having a policy to include green design when building new schools or renovating existing buildings.  In addition, more than half of schools have policies to purchase low-emitting products for use in and around the school and school grounds, including in art classes, industrial art classes and science laboratories. (Low-emitting products give off fewer of the harmful chemicals that can hurt indoor air quality and have long-term effects on children’s health.)

Although we still have a long road ahead to making America’s schools green and the buildings safe for all children and teachers, it looks as though we are heading in the right direction on that road.

HSC Receives American Institute of Architects Illinois President’s Award

by Mark Bishop, HSC Deputy Director

The American Institute of Architects Illinois (AIA) has presented Healthy Schools Campaign with their President’s Award, the only annual award presented to an organization outside of AIA. We’re honored to receive this award from a group we hold in such high esteem, and would like to thank AIA for recognizing our work to make green design and renovation the norm in schools.

The AIA award jury said that “AIA Illinois is pleased to consider the HSC to be among its friends and allies - they get what livable communities are really about.”

HSC has worked with AIA to bring the green schools message to design professionals in Illinois through trainings, policy and outreach. It’s through this collaboration that we were able to help pass legislation requiring that all new schools built in Illinois with state funds meet energy-efficient design standards.

Research shows that green design in schools can make a tremendous difference in student’s readiness to focus and learn, and we know it can make a huge difference for the health of everyone in the building. Energy-efficient schools can lead to substantial savings on school district utility bills, and create a model of responsibility and environmental stewardship.

We thank AIA for this award and look forward to continuing our work together to bring the benefits of green design to all students, teachers and schools staff.

Green Schools, High-Performing Schools, LEED Schools – Good Idea No Matter What You Call It

by Mark Bishop, HSC Deputy Director

One of the most promising, important ideas in school design is generating more and more discussion lately—even though many of us are not always sure what to call it.

Some people say “green schools,” some say “healthy, high-performing schools,” some just say “LEED schools,” but the meaning is essentially the same: building schools that use less energy, limit their environmental footprint, and provide a healthier learning environment through better lighting, better acoustics and better overall design.

Whatever language you choose to describe it, building better schools is all about providing a better education for students. We are proud that we worked in 2007 with the American Institute of Architects Illinois and supportive legislative leaders to pass a law that requires Illinois schools receiving construction money from the state to build to energy efficient standards. The specifics of the standards should be worked out by early 2008.

Design professionals are increasingly realizing the potential of green schools. Last month, the president of the American Institute of Architects, R. K. Stewart, published his vision for the need for better-built schools:

This country's educational infrastructure desperately needs a modernized green school system. Green, high-performance schools are not a panacea. They will not solve all of the ills in the nation's school system but they will provide a foundation for a better education, in which teachers will more easily be able to focus on what matters most -- teaching -- and students will focus on what matters most -- learning.

Green schools present a direct benefit to students and faculty, while also providing important benefits to society at large. High-performance schools promote energy savings, effect positive environmental change, improve health and educational achievement, and provide hands-on learning experiences. And, improved schools provide natural light to occupants, enhanced indoor air quality and create a superior work/learning environment.

One common barrier to building green schools is an assumption that better, more energy-efficient design is inherently much more expensive than traditional, less efficient design. Stewart addresses this concern with information gathered in a report released in 2006 by Capital E and the AIA:

To those who say building green is too costly, consider this: The green schools cost premium is between 1.5 percent and 2.5 percent of the total cost of new projects. Greening America's Schools Costs and Benefits pegs the total financial benefits of green schools at 10 to 20 times the initial cost. And school districts see direct benefits accrue at an approximate level of four times the cost due primarily to energy and water savings. Therefore, the initial investment is easily recuperated over time, reduced school operating costs and the students learning gains last a lifetime.

Stewart's conclusion, which I couldn't agree with more, is that "green schools are better for the students, the environment, teachers, the community and society in general." The benefits are huge, the costs are minimal and, as Stewart puts it, "green schools' time has come."

School Building Funding - Fifty Years After Little Rock

by Claris Olson, HSC Environmental Health Specialist

This week marks the 50th anniversary of federal troops' arrival in Little Rock, Ark., to ensure equity in education for nine African American students.  Sadly, so many years later, huge disparities in public school construction funding still exist. The fact that such tremendous disparities persist is, in a word, shameful.

This lack of adequate school construction funding has resulted in a situation where students in low income and minority communities spend their days in deteriorating buildings that adversely impact not only the students' learning, but also their health and the health of the staff and teachers who work in their schools.

Two organizations, The 21st Century School Fund and Critical Exposures, have done an excellent job of highlighting these disparities in very different ways. Both point to the need for federal and state policies to narrow this gap.

The 21st Century School Fund formed a group of local and national organizations, Building Educational Success Together (BEST), to investigate and research this issue.  Their findings are well documented in the report Growth and Disparity: A Decade of U.S. Public School Construction [pdf].

The study found that in spite of unprecedented spending and growth in school facility construction across the country, the money spent has not been distributed equitably.  Specifically, the report confirmed what many people have presumed all along:

• The money spent on schools serving low-income students was more likely to fund basic repairs, such as new roofs or asbestos removal, while schools in more affluent districts were more likely to receive funds for educational enhancements such as science labs;
• The lowest investment ($4,140 per student) was made in the poorest communities while the highest investment ($11,500 per student) was made in the high income communities;
• School districts with predominately minority student enrollment spent the least ($5,172 per student), while school districts with predominantly white student enrollment spent the most ($7,102 per student).

If you have never seen one of the schools affected by the worst of these funding disparities, you can take a virtual tour through Critical Exposures’ gallery.  Here you will see the same issue through the camera lens of the students. 

The pictures speak for themselves.  Most of us would never dream of working in buildings like these, yet so many of our nation's children are spending their days in them.  When and if the children graduate, they are expected to compete with students who have attended state-of-the-art schools in affluent communities.

If we want all students in this country to achieve academically and participate in civic life, then we must provide them with the buildings, teachers and resources to do so. 

Eliminating the disparities in school building quality should be an integral part of closing the achievement gap, and should be an explicit objective of state and federal educational law, including No Child Left Behind and other funding sources.

Green School, Great Community

by Claris Olson, HSC Environmental Health Specialist

Second in a three-part series

I was recently able to join a group of teachers on a tour of Great Seneca Creek Elementary School in Germantown, Md.  This was the first school to be certified LEED-Gold in Maryland under the new LEED standard for schools developed by the U.S. Green Building Council.  (The tour was part of an Indoor Environmental Quality training hosted by the American Federation of Teachers.)

Although this school was less than 50 miles from Washington D.C., it was a world apart in every way from the inner city school I visited nearby and discussed in an earlier blog.   

From the outside, the school didn't appear to be much different from any other newly constructed suburban school--but when we stepped inside and took a closer look, I was amazed at what I saw. 

The first thing we noticed was how bright the rooms were and how comfortable the air temperature was.  Even though it was a sweltering July day, inside the temperature remained a comfortable 75 degrees without the use of air conditioning. The rooms were filled with soft natural daylight.

When the outside temperatures reach extremes, the school is equipped with a geothermal heating and air conditioning system that in the summer cools the air to 65 degrees at a fraction of  the cost of conventional air conditioning systems. 

Around the school are display signs used to teach students, staff and visitors about the green features in the school. The signs explained every detail: that the restroom partitions are made from recycled plastic bottles, the cabinets are made from wheat straw (a rapidly renewable resource), and that the toilets have dual flushing modes.

Besides these impressive features, one of the most interesting things we learned was how this school made an impact on the community. 

The school replaced two other schools that were merged into one. Since its completion, the school has really been embraced by the community and has become a place where community members want to come, volunteer, and be a part of the children’s education so they could help make things even better. 

This was a great experience and such a beautiful school -- but you don't have to take my word for it. To learn more, join us at our Lunch and Learn on Green Design in Action on November 6, where Anja Caldwell, Green Building Program Manager for Montgomery County Public Schools and "proud parent" of Great Seneca school, will tell us more about the green features of this school and Montgomery County’s vision for green schools in the future.   

Alarming Conditions, Eye-Opening Lessons in School Building Tour

by Claris Olson, HSC Environmental Health Specialist

First in a three-part series

I recently had the chance to tour two schools at the extreme ends of the building-condition spectrum: an aging school in downtown Washington, D.C., and a LEED-certified “green” school in nearby Montgomery County Md. (The tours were part of an Indoor Environmental Quality training hosted by the American Federation of Teachers.)

The D.C. school,  built in the 1950s, is typical of many inner city schools in low-income minority communities.   

Outside the school, the windows looked as if they had not been cleaned since the school was built.  Soot, rust and bird droppings created a film over everything. 

Litter was scattered nearby and a dumpster was located so close to the entrance that we could smell rotting refuse as we entered.  Just as the students do each school day, we passed through a metal detector before being allowed to enter the building. 

Inside, the air was hot and stuffy –- the building seemed to have absolutely no ventilation.  A trip to the roof proved that the air conditioning system was indeed operating but was in such poor condition that there was no fresh air was going into the building.  Bird droppings and what appeared to be mold or algae covered the outside of the unit. 

The top floor of the school held a multi-purpose room of just about 1,000 square feet that also served as the library, resource center, computer lab and instructional area.  About half of the ceiling tiles showed water damage even though they had all been replaced a year ago.  And of course, where there is water damage, you will find mold. 

We entered one classroom that had been closed off to students because water was forming a pond in the center of the room. 

The mold in the room forced one of the training participants with asthma to leave the building. 

Water problems also plagued the basement, where the kitchen and cafeteria were located.  Evidence of mice and roaches was easily visible in the kitchen and cafeteria, as well as in the classrooms. 

The school had no elevator to accommodate children with disabilities.  We were told that students with  mobility impairments must be carried by a staff member up and down the stairs.  The administration office, while dry, was hot and stuffy and lacked proper ventilation. 

In spite of  the poor condition of the building, the staff dedication at the school was clear.  Staff made the best of what they had, and took pride in providing a place where children could learn and feel safe from violence outside the school.

The sad truth is that school conditions like these are not uncommon, especially in low-come minority communities. The tour was just one small reminder of how tremendously important it is for us to continue working to improve school environments for all children.

In next week’s blog, I’ll tell you about our tour of the school at the other end of the spectrum: the first LEED-certified school in Maryland.

Not Quite Breathing Easy: Recognizing the Occupational Risks of Poor Indoor Air Quality

by Claris Olson, HSC Environmental Health Specialist

Many teachers will breathe a sigh of relief when they hear a Montgomery County Md. jury determined that a teacher who became ill from exposure to toxic mold in a portable classroom is entitled to worker’s compensation, as reported in this Washington Post article.

Classifying this teachers' illness as an "occupational disease" is a major step forward in acknowledging the serious danger of poor indoor air quality in schools.

For years, teachers have been reporting health problems and their concerns with the indoor air quality in their schools, both in portable classrooms and traditional school buildings. 

For the most part, school administrators and those in the medical profession have not recognized the seriousness of the problems that indoor air quality causes for teachers. Teachers suffering from medical problems resulting from poor indoor air have been accused of fabricating their stories and some have even been referred for psychological evaluation. 

In reality, the conditions in many classrooms pose significant hazards to teachers as well as to children.

Portable classrooms are notorious not only for their poor ventilation - which can cause toxic mold growth, as in the Montgomery County case - but also for construction materials that contain high levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs).  They also have inefficient heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems that are so noisy that many teachers choose not to use them, reducing the ventilation even further. 

But like it or not, many school districts rely on portable classrooms or on old buildings with conditions that could lead to dangerously poor indoor air quality.  The California Collaborative for High Performing Schools provides specifications for modular or relocatable classrooms [pdf] that can help safeguard air quality in these situations.  (Keep in mind that these specifications were designed for the California climate so may not be appropriate for other parts of the country.)

The EPA also provides information to help with the indoor environment of portable classrooms.

Although it's great to hear that a jury recognized the seriousness of this issue and is taking steps toward compensating the teacher who has suffered, I hope that soon we'll be hearing more about steps that schools are taking to improve indoor air quality and prevent teachers from experiencing this type of occupational illness in the first place.

To learn more about indoor air quality and school environments, check out our action and resource guide. 

Loud & Clear: The Importance of Classroom Acoustics in Academic Performance

by Mark Bishop, HSC Deputy Director

When we talk about healthy, high-performing schools, we often focus on energy efficiency and on factors that directly affect student health: indoor air quality, chemical exposures, environmentally sensitive building materials.

But we can't forget the key mission of a school: to educate. Many aspects of healthy, high-performing schools relate directly to improved educational performance.

This excellent article [pdf] about the importance of acoustics in the classroom shows that designing a classroom with good acoustics can improve test scores and reduce teacher turnover. It's a slightly dense article and a bit technical, but makes some very noteworthy points about the relationship between education and facilities.

A recent study suggests that classroom noise not only interferes with a student's ability to hear the teacher, but may also contribute to students feeling helpless in their efforts to learn – thereby putting them at greater risk for academic failure.

While classrooms can be designed from the ground up to create better acoustics (by using more sound absorptive materials, dampening sound sources and providing good sound routes), existing classrooms can also be retrofitted for acoustical improvements.

Orange County Public School District (OCPS) in Orlando, Fla. recognized the need to improve the listening environment in their schools. They participated in a multi-year study examining teacher retention and test scores in classrooms which had acoustical improvements and those that did not. The results?

The results of a multi-year study showed that students in sound enhanced classrooms scored 10 percent higher on average on the Florida Comprehensive Achievement Test (FCAT) than students in classrooms without sound enhancement. Teacher absenteeism was also 25 percent less in the sound enhanced classrooms. . . . 

Today, OCPS requires sound enhancement systems in every new and renovated school. This requirement is an important part of the Orange County Public Schools $2.7 billion school construction program that will extend through 2015.

It's amazing what a difference physical changes to a building can have on academic and occupational performance.

So while we need to promote sustainable school construction and renovation, we also need to address issues that directly affect student health and academic performance such as access to school health services, recreational spaces, gymnasiums for proper PE, sinks for proper hygiene, cafeterias where staff can prepare healthy foods (not just deep fryers)  and yes, classrooms that have good acoustics.

If you're interested in learning more about factors that affect student health and performance in school –- including acoustics, daylighting, and more -- check out HSC's published guide for healthy, high performing schools.

The Wise Choice: Beyond Extra-Extra Wide Chairs

by Mark Bishop, HSC Deputy Director

Sometimes people ask about the connection between HSC's work with wellness and our work with school environmental health. (When we talk about wellness, we mean food and fitness; when we talk about school environmental health, we mean issues related to healthy buildings and indoor air quality.)

We see the connection all the time -– such as in the school where the poor indoor air quality prevented students from exercising in the gym, where inadequate kitchen facilities hinder the preparation of healthy food, or in this report which connects healthy food and asthma risk reduction –- but rarely is the connection illustrated so vividly as in the advertisement I came across recently in the print version of School Construction News.  (Yep, it's true – we at HSC are avid readers of School Construction News!)

Take a look at the ad:

A publication for those interested in school building issues includes this advertisement for an extra-wide (or "wise") chair that "effectively supports a wider variety of body types, particularly taller and larger students."

In other words, chair manufacturers are explicitly marketing products to comfortably support obese students. And the officials involved with school facilities must address the issues that skyrocketing obesity rates raise for health and safety in their buildings.

The childhood obesity epidemic affects every aspect of the school experience for children today – even the chairs they sit on.

But the adjustments that schools need to make in response to this epidemic go far beyond the purchase of wider chairs. Recognizing the tremendous lifelong health impacts of childhood obesity, people need to step forward to do everything they can to halt and begin reversing this dangerous trend in our schools, in our homes and in our communities.

Daily physical education, recess, healthy food and smart nutrition education would be the truly "wise" investments.

Support for America’s Better Classrooms Act

by Claris Olson, HSC Environmental Health Specialist

After years of dwindling school budgets for building maintenance, renovation, and improvements, the importance of America’s Better Classroom Act (H.R. 2470 in the House and S. 912 in the Senate) has never been greater.

According to government estimates,  43 percent of America’s public schools have at least one unsatisfactory environmental building condition. 

Mold, leaking ceilings, pest infestations, hazardous chemicals, and overcrowded classrooms are just a few of the unsafe conditions that create health risks to students and staff in tens of thousands of old and new schools across the nation.

America’s Better Classroom Act would address these unhealthy conditions. The bill allocates $25 billion in bond authority for special local school construction bonds that could be used for public school construction, rehabilitation, building repair, or the purchase of land on which to build a new public school. 

The federal government will pay the entire interest on these bonds, a subsidy worth up to 40 percent of the cost of the bond.  The decision about the use of the bond is up to the local authorities.

We support this effort but would love to see a requirement or some type of incentive for building schools which are energy efficient and promote a healthy environment.  Healthy, energy-efficient schools are better for the students and teachers, protect the environment and have lower operational costs. 

Ask your senators and representative to support America’s Better Classroom Act to help make our schools healthier and safer places to learn and work.

Schools Going Green Across the Country

by Mark Bishop, HSC Deputy Director

More school districts are recognizing that building green, energy-efficient schools leads to a number of benefits, from improving test scores to saving on rising energy costs. And Illinois will now become one of the leaders in promoting healthy school construction.

Yesterday afternoon, the Energy Efficient School Construction Grant Act, SB505,  passed the Illinois Senate on a 50-9 vote and will now be sent to the governor’s desk. This bill will require all schools receiving state funds for construction to build to green/sustainable standards. We worked hard with our partner, AIA-Illinois, to pass this bill. We're incredibly excited to see Illinois taking a leadership role on sustainable and healthy design.

Nationwide, schools are the single largest sector of public spending on construction. This means that building green schools will have a huge impact on the green construction marketplace, driving awareness among builders and designers and increasing demand for better alternatives for materials.

According to this AP story about the "green school" movement, the U.S. Green Building Council, which sets nationally recognized standards for environmentally friendly buildings, recently released guidelines specifically for schools. (It previously certified schools based on commercial-building guidelines). So far, 27 schools have received the "green" certification and close to 300 schools are on a waiting list. And we can expect that list to grow:

The Council of Educational Facility Planners International estimates that schools will spend $53 billion this year on construction alone and that green building will comprise as much as 10 percent of the school construction market by 2010, a rapid growth from almost nonexistence a few years ago.

How are school buildings around the country going green?

In Colorado, ice made during off-peak hours at Fossil Ridge High School in Fort Collins helps cool the building during the day.

On the roof of the gym at Tarkington Elementary School in Chicago is a flower garden that helps insulate the building during the city's cold winters. Such wildflower gardens and solar panel arrays make perfect hands-on learning labs for students, and the sunlight-lit classrooms create happier, healthier children, educators said.

A study by school officials in Washington state found green schools have better student performance and fewer absences. In 2005, Washington state lawmakers used the study to require new schools receiving state money to meet green standards.

The U.S. Green Building Council section on green schools features news reports and school case studies, along with resources for educators, administrators, parents and students.

Momentum in Springfield for Healthy Schools

by Mark Bishop, HSC Deputy Director

So much activity related to school health is going on in Springfield this year that it’s hard to keep it all straight.

HSC’s Green Clean Schools Act (HB895) sailed through the Senate Education Committee with comments from senators such as, “This is a great bill” and “I’m proud to put my name on this piece of legislation.” Sen. Iris Martinez is our Senate sponsor.

Now it seems as if we have the momentum to get this bill passed, but we can’t let up yet –- we still have our work ahead of us to let other senators know about the importance of green cleaning before the bill is brought to a vote before the full Senate.

If the Senate approves the Green Clean Schools Act, Illinois will become only the second state to require green cleaning in schools. (Right now, New York is the only state with this requirement.)

Check out a few of the other bills related to healthy schools that are really moving in Springfield:

Energy Efficient School Construction Grants (SB505) 
This bill from HSC and our allies would provide schools with additional funding through the school construction grant program to build to sustainable and energy efficient standards. After an overwhelmingly positive 48-8 vote in the Senate, the bill has moved to the House. On May 8, the House Education Committee will hold a hearing on the bill. 

School Recess Bill (HB1335)
This bill would require CPS to offer at least 10 minutes of recess to students in grades K-6. On April 24, Parents United for Healthy Schools brought more than 40 parent leaders and 15 students to Springfield to lobby for this bill. The very next day we had nine more co-sponsors (up from just one sponsor) and this week the House approved the bill! On Tuesday, Parents United is holding a press conference at Mitchell School to announce this victory and keep the momentum going as the bill moves to the Senate.

School Health Center Act (SB715)
This bill requires IDHS to open twenty new school heath centers over 5 years and build capacity at existing centers. On May 2, the Senate passed this bill. The bill, championed by Sen. Donne Trotter, will now head to the House with the support of the lead sponsor, Rep. Sara Feigenholtz. Illinois Coalition for School Health Centers is leading the efforts on this bill.

School Renewable Energy Grants (HB0285)
This bill will establish a renewable energy grant program at ISBE to assist school districts with building renewable energy sources in the public schools. This bill was approved by the House and is on final reading in the Senate.

We'll keep you posted as these bills progress!

A Comfortable Truth: School Buildings and Healthy Learning

by Rochelle Davis, HSC Executive Director

Who among us has ever reflected on our elementary or high school classrooms and thought: Now that was a comfortable chair.

In the article "A Comfortable Truth," published in the April 2007 issue of Edutopia, planners and architects Prakash Nair and Randall Fielding argue that our attitudes about schools and comfort are rooted in the century-old notion that physical hardship creates self-disciplined children -- and it's well beyond time for a change.

Most public schools today are twentieth-century adaptations of the schools in the original American colonies. In the industrial version, however, students became products to be passed from grade to grade until sufficiently educated to work in a factory. School buildings reflected this ultimate goal, with classroom after similar classroom aligned along each side of a corridor, and regimental rows of hard chairs symbolizing strict attention and serious purpose. […]

Though the industrial model was solidly in place as the educational standard, however, a parallel, progressive movement arose in the early 1900s that sought to humanize and personalize education. This philosophy survives and has gathered dedicated adherents along the way, but most mainstream educators at the time it was developed were unconvinced that change was needed, and schools remained much as they had always been. Even after almost a century, John Dewey's 1915 exhortation that "nature has not adapted the young animal to the narrow desk, the crowded curriculum, the silent absorption of complicated facts" remains largely unheard.

What is the rationale for justifying the lack of creature comfort in today's schools? Nothing more defensible than the old dodge "We've always done it that way." But schools wear out and are renovated or replaced by new structures. And architects know far more about how people live and work than they once did. So the factory model is slowly relegated to history, like the dinosaur it is. But questions of comfort and rigor remain unresolved. Should schools be comfortable, and if so, why?

Nair and Fielding go on to provide "eight truths" about school building and design, beginning with truth #1: comfort matters.

We couldn't agree more.

The authors call for greater investments in softer seating, cleaner/fresher air and noise controls, and they advocate for creating adaptive and flexible learning spaces with access to healthy food, smaller learning communities and environments where students can feel "both secure and significant."

A number of the issues are consistent with Healthy Schools Campaign's agenda, including healthy indoor air, acoustical comfort, healthy food and school gardening. Their suggestions are important and definitely worth a read.

Encouraging Schools to Make Green Building Choices

by Mark Bishop, HSC Deputy Director

A major part of HSC's 2007 environmental health legislative agenda is Illinois' Energy Efficient School Construction Act (SB505), which gives schools incentives to make green building choices.

It allows the state to allocate an additional 5 percent to a school's construction grant index if the school meets specific green certifications. This would encourage schools that receive state funding to build healthier and more energy-efficient facilities.

And why does that matter? State and national models of schools built with healthier, energy-efficient standards show multiple benefits, including higher student test scores, increased average daily attendance, reduced operation and maintenance costs, lower utility bills, increased teacher satisfaction and retention, and less negative environmental impact.

HSC's healthy, high-performance schools website and free guide also show the benefits of these building decisions and the how-to of implementing them in schools.

Last week, by a vote of 8-2, the Illinois Senate Education Committee approved SB 505 (read our press release). Sen. John Cullerton (D-Chicago) had introduced the bill with the support of HSC and a coalition of allies.

Seeing the bill move forward is exciting –- and it means that we have work ahead to continue building the coalition of organizations and elected officials who can bring the bill to a successful vote in the Senate and introduce it in the House. Stay updated with our efforts at a website section we created to track this bill and related issues.

And if you're interested in learning how you can make your school building healthy and efficient, sign up for our Lunch & Learn event in Chicago on March 29. Speakers include Tracee Binion, health and safety director for the Jefferson County (Ala.) American Federation of Teachers; Stuart Brodsky, architect at OWP/P Architects in Chicago; and Janice Spears, school planning consultant.

U.S. Green Building Council to Release Green School Guidelines

by Rochelle Davis, HSC Executive Director

As more industries work to make their products and procedures environmentally responsible, green certifications programs help guide both industry and consumers.

Recognizing the special vulnerability that children have to environmental exposures and the special considerations in constructing schools, the U.S. Green Building Council created a committee to draft guidelines for constructing green schools. The USGBC recognized many differences between standard commercial construction and school construction needs. Such differences can be noted in the addition of acoustical standards for classrooms and the requirement that schools are not to be built on landfills as to prevent potential toxic exposures. Public comment period closed on February 23.

We believe that LEED for Schools will be an important step forward to creating schools that provide healthy learning environments while cutting schools’ energy costs. However, we also believe that there are many considerations that should go into a new school that would facilitate a healthy school environment. Last year HSC released our Illinois Guide to Healthy, High Performing School Construction which included less traditional construction issues, such as access to hand washing facilities, a minimum student to cafeteria size ratio, recommendations on commercial kitchen design to facilitate healthy food preparation, and standards for school health center design.

 

Green Seal Finalizes Environmental Standard for Cleaning Services

by Claris Olson, HSC Environmental Health Specialist

Hiring a green cleaning service just got easier thanks to Green Seal's Environmental Standard for Cleaning Services (PDF).

The standard, which was finalized in September 2006, establishes requirements for both in-house and external cleaning service providers to create a green cleaning program that protects human health and the environment.

It encompasses all indoor activities required to clean commercial, public and industrial buildings. The standard specifies green chemicals, supplies and equipment as well as cleaning procedures, and it mandates employee training and communication with building owners and occupants. It also requires that a building-specific green cleaning plan be implemented.

The Green Seal Standard for Environmental Services is a great tool for schools in so many ways. It helps if you are looking for a contract service provider that will give you a true "green cleaning" program, but it is also helpful for schools that want to improve their current cleaning procedures.   

Green cleaning is not just good for the environment in terms of the production and disposal of harmful chemicals, but it also results in better indoor air quality, which is so important for schools with so many children having asthma and other chemical sensitivities.