We're Excited About Three New Sustainable Schools in North Texas

School started this week for most school districts in Texas. In North Texas we’re very excited about three brand-new and interesting sustainable (green) schools that opened their doors this week. The research shows green schools are better learning environments in many ways. These schools are also exciting because the students who attend these schools are learning about 21st century building. All of these schools have a “school as learning tool” component.

Fort Worth ISD, a large school district with nearly 80,000 students, implemented a sustainability policy in 2008 after a recently-passed bond measure. The construction department was familiar with research that showed numerous benefits to students in high-performance schools. After researching various rating systems, the district decided to implement The Collaborative for High-Performance Schools or CHPS. The district wanted to spend money on schools that would maximize Indoor Environmental Quality(IEQ), that would reduce the use of electricity, gas, and water, would be built of reduced-maintenance, sturdy materials, that would have increased insulation in the building envelope including doors and windows, and would incorporate low water use both indoors and outdoors.

Fort Worth ISD”s Rosemont Elementary School incorporates all these strategies in a pleasant building that maximizes daylight through the use of windows and features clear and colored glass. The HVAC system is energy-efficient. Water usage is reduced with the use of low-flow plumbing fixtures and native plants in the landscaping. The appliances are Energy Star®. Low-voc and recycled content carpet and VCT (vinyl tiles) were used, as well as low-VOC paints. A second-story science classroom has an outdoor science classroom attached. Sturdy, low-maintenance materials are visible, including both brick and CMU (concrete block) for the building façade.

Keller ISD, with 33,000 students, started going green in 2003 when they started looking at research into how children learn and how to best help their students attain “Intentional Excellence”. When they looked at the data on the connection between Indoor Environmental Quality and absenteeism/ learning/test scores, and even scholarship awards, their entire school district, including Operations and Construction, was tasked with increasing IEQ. They say building LEED buildings were the logical next step in all of this. (LEED® is the US Green Building Council’s rating system.) Keller has increased their IEQ, including green cleaning and green furniture purchasing, using the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s program Tools for Schools, even winning a national award from the EPA in 2010. This is the second LEED school for the district.

A few of the benefits of Keller’s Ridgeview Elementary School are over 500 geothermal wells that provide higher air quality while reducing heating/cooling costs, increased HVAC standards for additional pre-conditioned Outside Air, MERV-8 filters even during construction provide a higher amount of filtering of particulate matter, water savings of over 30% with low-water usage plumbing fixtures (including waterless urinals) and low-water landscaping (as Texas experiences the worst drought in its history), low-and –no-VOC paints, flooring, and finishes, and Daylighting. Carpeting is used sparingly, and where it is used, carpet tiles have been used in lieu of “regular” roll carpet. There are many other green features in the school. The District’s green cleaning program means facilities staff use only two cleaning products, both hydrogen-peroxide based. All other chemicals have been removed. The District has seen a marked decrease in asthma, which means marked increase in attendance.

The third school is Irving ISD’s net zero Lady Bird Johnson Middle School, meaning the school produces as much or more energy than it consumes in the course of a year. The largest net zero school in the USA and the first net zero school in Texas, Lady Bird Johnson Middle School produces power with the use of nearly 3,000 solar panels which cover 66% of the roof. They generate 99% of the building’s energy. Twelve wind turbines produce 1% of the building’s energy. The solar panels and wind turbines are used as interactive science nodes. Rainwater is collected from roof drains for grounds irrigation. The school’s curriculum is heavily science/sustainability/net zero based. There is a pulper in the cafeteria with which students grind compostable waste, reducing the amount of garbage sent to landfills by 53%. The cafeteria has no dishwashers. All plates and plastic-ware are made from recycled materials that can be turned into pulp. The building features increased insulation which decreases the need for HVAC, and a reflective roof surface reduces cooling loads needed.

Students at all of these schools will have a distinct advantage in that they will be educated on sustainability concepts, along with the technological aspects of these high-performance, sustainable buildings as part of their school culture. They will also experience greater health, which means they'll spend more time at school and less time at home recovering from illness. As my English teacher in high school would say at the end of class, when he would fling open the door and motion towards the hallway, “Your Destiny Awaits!” The 21st century awaits!

Links:
www.cleanerandgreener.org/download/sustainableschools.pdf
http://www.fwisd.org/cip/Pages/GreenSchools.aspx
http://h-m-g.com/projects/daylighting/summaries%20on%20daylighting.htm#Windows and Classrooms: A Study of Student Performance and the Indoor Environment – CEC PIER 2003
http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy00osti/28049.pdf
http://www.kellerisd.net/community/communications/news/Pages/RidgeviewElementaryopensasKellerISD%E2%80%99s22ndK-4Campus.aspx
http://www.irvingisd.net/johnson/documents/Fun%20Facts%20about%20Lady%20Bird%20Johnson%20Middle%20School.pdf