Wilmette Public Schools District 39 • Community Review Committee 2008- 2009
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~ -, Wilmette Public Schools District 39 • Community Review Committee 2008- 2009 GREEN SCHOOLS Subcommittee Members: Rebecca Boyd - Parent Representative, McKenzie School Charlotte Bryant - Parent Representative, Harper School Marlene Dodinval- Member-At-Large Mindy Faunterloy- Parent Representative, Harper School John Gridley - Parent Representative, High crest Middle School Julia Grosh- Member-At-Large Susan Kick- Principal, Harper School Danielle Martinez- Teacher, Wilmette Junior High Luke Pavone - Principal, Highcrest Middle School Carolyn Sennett- Parent Representative, McKenzie School Jim Tingey- Teacher, Central School Dariusz Zukowski - Parent Representative, Romona School , - ... GREEN SCHOOLS TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary ................................................................................. · Introduction ......................................................................................... .. Environmental Management Strategies . Section 1 Energy Efficiency . Section 2 Waste Management and Recycling .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. Section 3 Purchasing and Green Cleaning.................................................................. Section 4 Indoor Air Quality . Section 5 Building Construction and Design .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. Section 6 Outdoor Air Quality . Section 7 Sustainable Landscaping and Gardening . Section 8 Curriculum . Section 9 Communications . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... Section 10 Conclusion ............................................................................................ • - r EXECUTIVE SUMMARY '- " EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Green Schools The Green Schools Committee of the 2008-2009 CRC spent the year evaluating what makes aschool district "green," what District 39 is presently doing or not doing, and how the District might strengthen and unify its commitment to being environmentally responsible. There is a societal movement to "go green." This is not a trend (although some of the strategies will change over time), and it is more than just being kind to the Earth. The collective efforts to become more sustainable will be essential as time progresses. On a more immediate level, laws are proliferating on a monthly basis at both the state and federal level to promote sustainable practices, and school districts are finding that by not re-evaluating some of their practices, precious funds are literally going down the drain. The benefits to the District would be apparent not only in hard dollar savings but also in quieter yet pervasive ways such as increases in student productivity. According to various studiesi, benefits of green schools include, but are not limited to: • A healthy, productive learning environment • Improved teacher retention • Financial savings • Hands-on learning • Environmentally-friendly atmosphere • Improved student performance due to increased daylight • Improved health due to good indoor air quality • Increased learning potential due to favorable acoustics • Increased teacher and student satisfaction due to comfortable indoor temperature The Green Schools Committee explored a variety of sources and researched the current practices and recommendations on what a green school might look like. We interviewed various constituents in the District and community to assess what steps the District is currently taking in the absence of a stated collective goal. Those interviewed included teachers, administrators, principals, PTA environmental representatives, and the outside advisors. We found that individuals within the community are on the right path in terms of individual commitment and effort, but there is little direction, planning or coordination. Efforts amongst District 39 entities are not consistent. We are doing many things right, but we could do a lot better. And with a stated goal and strategic plan, this Committee believes that District 39 can marshal its talents and resources through collaboration to be a leader among school districts. Green Schools - Community Review Committee Executive Summary • .. r The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) has developed a detailed checklist guiding schools and/or districts in their quest to go green. The Green Schools Committee has employed this list as a guide to our research and findings. The areas explored in our report are the following: 1. Management Strategies 2. Energy Efficiency 3. Waste Management and Recycling 4. Purchasing and Green Cleaning 5. Indoor Air Quality 6. New and Existing Construction 7. Outdoor Air Quality 8. Landscaping and Gardens 9. Curriculum 10. Communication After comparing our research on green schools with the results of the interviews, this committee developed a series of recommendations to assist the district in a long-term goal of becoming more sustainable. This goal will have the greatest chance of success if it starts with a School Board resolution. In the Environmental Management Strategies section, you will find a copy of the Illinois Sustainable Schools Compact. The Compact is part of an Illinois State program, which is described by the Governor's Office as "best practices that K-12 schools can voluntarily pursue to help lead the way to a greener, cleaner future."ii Schools or school districts check off practices on this one-page document that each is now pursuing or intends to pursue, sign the compact and send to the Governor's office for Governor Quinn's signature. Several districts in our area such as New Trier and every school in District 65 (Skokie/Evanston) have already made this part of their future mission. We strongly urge the Board to sign this as a public acknowledgement ofthe District's commitment to being environmentally responsible pioneers. As environmental concerns continue to mount and affect each of us, it becomes apparent that our children will live in a much more universal community. It is incumbent upon District 39 to reveal to students how to be stewards of the world we will be leaving them. i Greening America's Schools: Costs and Benefits, Gregory Kats, October 2006 http://www.cap e.com/ewebeditpro/items/059F9819 .pdf; www. buildgreenschools.org ii http://www. standingupforillinois.org/green/ compact. php \ Green Schools - Community Review Committee 2 Executive Summary ' .. •• • f INTRODUCTION ' ' INTRODUCTION District 39 has a well-established history of being a leader in education and maintaining its commitment to high quality programming. In the 1960s District 39 was one of the few districts in the country to offer free pre-kindergarten to its youngest citizens. During the 1970s when arts programs were being eliminated nationwide, District 39 chose to preserve Creative Drama, thus fulfilling its mission of delivering a well-rounded education. In the latter part of the last century when the AIDS epidemic was making its presence known in urban areas and small towns alike, one school in District 39 set a humane and compassionate course for one of its students with AIDS. This outreach became a model for schools throughout the country. Currently District 39 is implementing new teaching strategies for curricular areas that are sensitive to gender-based learning needs and differences. Each of these agendas was based on thoughtful exploration and research of available data. Now the district has the opportunity not only to participate in becoming a "greener" district, but also to be a leader and role model for the nation in this effort. The objective of this report is not to convince the district to "go green". District 39 administrators are aware that going green is not only financially responsible, but it is also necessary to prepare our students and future generations of student citizens for a new model of how to live and work on our planet. Our mission is to highlight the strengths of the District and to recommend ways, both financially and behaviorally, needed so that the District can take the next steps toward calling itself an authentic "Green District". We are calling for a cultural change that appeals for small yet significant steps that will enable us to develop a community of self-awareness. Provided in this report are recommendations for becoming more sustainable in all areas of district functioning. In order to implement these recommendations, however, we believe the first step must be to create a District-level task force that will be responsible for coordinating current efforts, evaluating the following recommendations and creating a strategic plan to begin implementation. We discovered without a commitment from the District the inconsistency among schools will continue and our efforts will remain rudderless. In addition, a permanent "Green" committee is recommended for long-term monitoring, decision-making, information sharing, and continued coordination among the various involved parties. Working toward sustainability and environmental responsibility provides an excellent chance to bring together students, parents, staff, and administrators in a long-term goal that will empower students to address challenges of the 21st century through service, commitment, and academic rigor. This effort will be consistent with District 39's legacy of demonstrating educational best practices. Green Schools - Community Review Committee Introduction ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES Section 1 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES What Does a Green School District Look Like with Respect to Environmental Management Strategies?