Sidebar: Green Schools: Learning as We Go
LEED™ for Schools
The U.S. Green Building Council is in discussions with CHPS and others in an effort to adapt the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Rating System to schools. Currently, 32 K-12 schools are registered with LEED, but a specialized “Application Guide” will tailor LEED to schools and improve the submission process. The demand for such a guide is especially high in New Jersey, where on July 29, 2002, Governor McGreevey signed Executive Order #24, requiring new school designs to incorporate LEED guidelines. While this order does not explicitly require that the schools be LEED-certified, that certification is important because it provides third-party verification of claims that a building is green. “For jurisdictions wanting to assure that their tax revenues are being invested prudently, this aspect of LEED validation is critical,” notes Christine Ervin, executive director of the U.S. Green Building Council.
