Sustainability in K-12 Education
When we think about the word sustainability, we immediately are overwhelmed with various cultural, political, and social influences that contribute to what we believe the definition to be. The definition of sustainability in Texas might mean something completely different then the definition of sustainability in Oregon…I won’t even elaborate and allow the imagination of the reader to define the differences from the two…
Let’s break down the definition of sustainability for a particular context though. What does sustainability mean in a K-12 setting?
A post-pandemic definition might focus on interior air quality, proper filtration, and higher air-circulation rates. It might look at the material of high-contact surfaces and suggest a natural antimicrobial finish of copper in-lieu of a current industry standard.
An education focused definition might gear towards student involvement like composting food waste from school lunches and growing organic veggies in a school run garden. It might mean playground equipment that is made from recycled HDPE instead of galvanized or coated metals.
A branding or sell-ability definition might look at highly visible items like rainwater collection cisterns or an interior green wall that can easily communicate to the community “we are a green school”. It might look at acquiring a green rating system so that the building can be branded as meeting sustainable requirements.
None of the above definitions are wrong, you can combine a few definitions together to make the perfect fit! Like with all things, the definition of sustainability is based on context and should be adjusted to meet the needs of the school, environment, and community.
So, if I was a school district calling into a help hotline, not knowing where the heck to start to make my schools sustainable…look no further! The best way to start the quest is to understand the various rating systems or design criteria’s out there that help to define the road map. Some of the most common pathways are:
LEED BD+C: Schools (current version v4.1)
U.S. Green Building Council, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
CHPS Designed or CHPS Verified Schools
Collaborative for High Performance Schools
IgCC 2018 and 2021 (most typically this will act as the “baseline” standard building code requirement)
International Green Construction Code
This list barely scratches the surface as to all the green rating systems that exist and that can be applied to the design of a school, but LEED and CHPS are the two rating systems that are specifically designed to take into account the various aspects that are unique to schools.
For grins, let’s focus on the Elements of a Sustainable School set by CHPS. CHPS is arguably the more user-friendly system that provides more flexibility to achieve a rating, while still maintaining rigorous sustainable requirements that are similar to those of LEED.
Innovation and Integration
The school becomes an important tool to illustrate the possibilities of designing for a resilience, biophilic and safter atmosphere, all with the backing and commitment of dedication from the district. This credit category thinks wholistically about district level priorities that should act as the “mission statement” to help keep the project goals clear throughout the life of design.
Indoor Environmental Quality
Elements that contribute to the day-to-day happiness of the child within the classroom should be considered. This credit focuses on air filtration/ventilation, materials within the building that are high contact, daylighting and views, and acoustic comfort. This credit has elements that can easily apply in a renovation setting for districts that are looking to renovate instead of building new.
Energy Efficiency
The heating/ventilating/air-conditioning (HVAC) systems use high-efficiency equipment appropriately sized for the facility's estimated demands. Lighting systems use high-efficiency lamps and ballasts that allow for optimization, resulting in fewer lights within the individual spaces. Daylight harvesting systems can be implemented to further reduce the burden of energy use. Commissioning acts as a “check your work” to make sure that systems are installed properly and performing as designed. This credit tends to show the highest payback of district cost…with energy bills being one of the highest costs below salaries.
Water Efficiency
The school uses as little off-site water as possible to meet its needs. It controls and manages stormwater runoff by capturing it on-site if possible and recovers and reuses graywater to the extent that is possible. This credit has a high potential of being a showcased “education on display” moment that can be tied to curriculum for various grade levels. Water treatment can be used to teach other schools within the district via field trips if it isn’t a feasible element to incorporate at all schools.
Environmentally Responsive Site
To the greatest extent possible, the school’s site conserves existing natural areas and acts to restore damaged ones. The site minimizes storm water run-off and controls erosion. This credit looks at the surrounding neighborhood context to determine the appropriate accommodations of students that bike or walk to school. This credit also acts to reduce the heat island burden for the community surrounding.
