Green schools provide students and staff with a healthy atmosphere in which to learn, as well as, more opportunities for hands-on educational experiences. And although it may seem like going green would use up a large portion of a district’s budget, much of the money spent on green projects would be restored through savings on energy and water costs. According to the U.S. Green Building Council, the average green school saves $100,000 annually.

But according to Marcus Egan, NSBA’s director of federal affairs, more research and independent data needs to be conducted on going green to determine upfront costs and project benefits before schools make costly commitments. The House of Representatives’ Green Schools Caucus, formed in December 2007, could encourage this kind of research but have yet to make any serious gains, says Egan, who spoke about the subject at NSBA’s Federal Relations Network conference earlier this month.

Until then, Egan says, schools can certainly find small ways to make a big difference in their school environment and teach students about energy. The Green School program in Montgomery County, Md., for example, allows students a rare opportunity to explore energy efficiency by establishing “Green Teams” of students, who assess their schools and promote recycling efforts. According to the Washington Post (www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/30/AR2008013001763.html), conservation measures by “Green Teams” saved the school system $1.2 million in electricity costs last year.

With the economy experiencing a downturn and many school districts feeling the pinch, who couldn’t use a little more green?

Stacey Hollenbeck, Spring Intern