District Sustainability Award Nominee Presentation Form U.S. Department
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District Sustainability Award Nominee Presentation Form CERTIFICATIONS District’s Certifications The signatures of the district superintendent on the next page certify that each of the statements below concerning the district’s eligibility and compliance with the following requirements is true and correct to the best of the superintendent’s knowledge. 1. The district has been evaluated and selected from among districts within the Nominating Authority’s jurisdiction, based on high achievement in the three ED-GRS Pillars: 1) reduced environmental impact and costs; 2) improved health and wellness; and 3) effective environmental and sustainability education. 2. The district is providing the U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights (OCR) access to information necessary to investigate a civil rights complaint or to conduct a district wide compliance review. 3. OCR has not issued a violation letter of findings to the school district concluding that the nominated school district has violated one or more of the civil rights statutes. A violation letter of findings will not be considered outstanding if OCR has accepted a corrective action plan to remedy the violation. 4. The U.S. Department of Justice does not have a pending suit alleging that the school district has violated one or more of the civil rights statutes or the Constitution’s equal protection clause. 5. There are no findings of violations of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act in a U.S. Department of Education monitoring report that apply to the school district in question; or if there are such findings, the state or school district has corrected, or agreed to correct, the findings. 6. The district meets all applicable federal, state, local and tribal health, environmental and safety requirements in law, regulations and policy and is willing to undergo EPA on-site verification. U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools District Sustainability Award 2019-2021 Name of Superintendent: Dr. Steven L. Walts (Specify: Ms., Miss, Mrs., Dr., Mr., etc.) (As it should appear in the official records) District Name: Prince William County Public Schools (As it should appear on an award) I have reviewed the information in this application and certify that to the best of my knowledge all information is accurate. Date: December 4, 2021 (Superintendent’s Signature) ED-GRS (2022-2024) Page 1 of 2 Nominating Authority’s Certifications The signature by the Nominating Authority on this page certifies that each of the statements below concerning the district’s eligibility and compliance with the following requirements is true and correct to the best of the Authority’s knowledge. 1. The district is one of those overseen by the Nominating Authority which is highest achieving in the three ED-GRS Pillars: 1) reduced environmental impact and costs; 2) improved health and wellness; and 3) effective environmental education. 2. The district meets all applicable federal civil rights and federal, state, local and tribal health, environmental and safety requirements in law, regulations and policy and is willing to undergo EPA on-site verification. Name of Nominating Agency: Virginia Department of Education Name of Nominating Authority: Dr. Anne Petersen (Specify: Ms., Miss, Mrs., Dr., Mr., Other) I have reviewed the information in this application and certify to the best of my knowledge that the school meets the provisions above. Date: February 10, 2021 (Nominating Authority’s Signature) SUBMISSION The nomination package, including the signed certifications, narrative summary, documentation of evaluation in the three Pillars, and photos should be submitted online according to the instructions in the Nominee Submission Procedure. OMB Control Number: 1860-0509 Expiration Date: December 31, 2023 Public Burden Statement According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 1860-0509. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 37 hours per response, including time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. The obligation to respond to this collection is required to obtain or retain benefit P.L. 107-110, Sec. 501, Innovative Programs and Parental Choice Provisions. Send comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to the U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20202-4536 or email [email protected] and reference the OMB Control Number 1860-0509. Note: Please do not return the completed ED-Green Ribbon Schools application to this address. ED-GRS (2022-2024) Page 2 of 2 Summary Narrative: An Overview Encompassing All Three Pillars Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS) serves over 89,000 students in 96 schools from preschool through 12th grade in Prince William County, Virginia, and is the second largest school division in the Commonwealth of Virginia. An economically diverse county of 347 square miles in northern Virginia, Prince William County is primarily a mixture of urban and suburban settings. PWCS’s mission, Providing A World-Class Education, exemplifies that the School Division values the individual and that every individual can learn. PWCS also values and actively promotes energy conservation and sustainability, recognizing that minimizing energy consumption and related costs will maximize funds available for use in the classroom. The PWCS program extends beyond energy conservation and facilities management; and is designed to include all facets of an environmentally responsible School Division to include the health and safety of both students and staff, a robust environmental education program, and community outreach. Established in 2012, the PWCS energy management program generates savings based on behavioral changes and operational strategic planning. Additional initiatives include increasing communication in schools about energy and water usage, energy monitoring and reporting of consumption and cost, upgrading lighting, enhancing our building automation system, and upgrading equipment. These energy conservation efforts have resulted in an average 24 percent decrease in utility costs, while the total square feet of the buildings have increased by 15 percent, for a total cost avoidance estimated at $48 million. Sixty (60) of our schools have earned the Energy Star label. PWCS believes that student-led programs engage synergies between the built and natural environment to enhance student learning. In 2015, PWCS initiated the Annual Energy and Sustainability Challenge so every school can participate and contribute to decreasing their schools’ environmental impact, while learning through place-based activities. The year-long student activities are supported by a school-based sustainability coordinator who may choose from several environmental focus areas. Since inception, more than 280,000 students have participated. Improving student and staff health involves everyone. Within our Division, continuous contributions come from physical education and health teachers, counseling staff, building maintenance personnel, nurses, and other individuals. The PWCS well-being program, BeWell, strives to provide World-Class well-being to all PWCS staff through holistic wellness focused on physical, emotional, social, occupational, and financial health. BeWell aims to empower employees to take care and take charge of their health at work and at home through various programs and initiatives. Some supportive resources that BeWell offers are webinars, online challenges, health fairs, and much more, all focusing on the five pillars of our well-being program. Practices are also in place to ensure that the more than 100 PWCS facilities are both sustainable and safe for students and staff. To promote a safe, healthy learning environment and to complement the energy management program, each campus annually reviews and adheres to the preventive maintenance and monitoring plan administered by the PWCS Facilities Services department, including HVAC, building envelope, water quality and conservation, chemical safety, and moisture management. To grow a culture of sustainability, PWCS encourages the growth of socially responsible behaviors in our students and staff. This includes providing professional development and encouraging community support for sustainable practices. Each year since 2013, a Division Sustainability Summit is hosted to celebrate accomplishments and share best practices in our schools. Staff members and students from all schools can attend, they spend their time collaborating, sharing sustainable student activities, and exploring new opportunities with community partners. The August 2020 Summit went virtual, due to COVID-19 limitations. Environmental and sustainability educational initiatives, objectives, and opportunities are imbedded across the curriculum in PWCS. In addition to advanced level course work, students also enroll in career and technical courses ED-GRS (2022-2024) Page 3 of 2 focusing on workplace readiness and STEM. To support and engage students in STEM activities, since 2009, PWCS has funded a robotics program inclusive to the entire School Division – elementary, middle, and high, to include