GreenSage E-zine 08/2008

Two More Schools Going Green — in Kentucky and Pennsylvania

Louisville Students & Parents Get A Sneak Peek at Their Green School
By Antoinette Konz

Students who will attend Louisville's Jefferson County's newest middle school, billed as the district's most environmentally friendly, got a sneak peek just weeks before shool starts.

Officials held an all-day orientation at the John L. Ramsey Middle School where parents and students were able to tour classrooms and learn about procedures that will be in place at the school when students report for their first day.

David Wicks, coordinator of Jefferson County Public Schools' Center for Environmental Education, put up a large, interactive solar display to show how the school will tap solar energy to heat water and run some of the lights. As part of the display, Wicks brought a solar oven and used it to bake cookies.

"This is pretty cool," said 12-year-old Arthur Smith, who will be in eighth grade. "I learned a little bit about solar energy last year in science class, but I didn't know that we would have solar panels on the roof and that they were going to heat the water."

The school, named for the district's former assistant superintendent and father of University of Louisville President James Ramsey, cost $16.4 million and will have 130,000 square feet and two levels of classrooms.

One of its features is a large broadcast media center, which will allow school news to be fed through a wireless computer network and displayed via projectors in each classroom. Others include nine science labs, two computer labs, a large art room, a gym and a multipurpose room connected by a stage, and a music suite with rooms for band, orchestra and chorus. Principal Jennifer Colley said it has been "amazing" to watch the school take shape over the past few months.

"We are real excited about the start of this year," she said. "There is going to be a strong focus on academics, as well as on social skills. We are also going to work on building community and parental support from the beginning."

Colley said construction workers are still working on the multipurpose room, and the librarian is in the process of getting books inventoried and put onto shelves. Next week, landscapers will plant grass." The school is designed to conserve energy, Wicks said. Aside from the solar panels, motion sensors will detect when rooms aren't occupied, turning lights off and scaling back heating and air usage. A 40-foot windmill soon will be constructed to help generate energy, Wicks said.

Suburban Philadelphia School Getting a $12.7M Green Renovation
By Chris English

A “green” makeover is coming to Makefield Elementary School after the supervisors granted final land development approval for a $12.7 million renovation-expansion, voting unanimously for approval.

Construction is scheduled to include many green, or environmentally friendly, elements, Pennsbury officials have said. Among them are solar panels that will provide about 12 percent of the school's power, low-flow features in bathrooms that will reduce water use by 20 percent and some permeable pavement in the parking lots that will allow rainwater to soak through.

“I appreciate the fact the school district decided to go in that direction,” said one supervisor. “I was impressed with the design of the building.” He did have some concern there wasn't enough space being added to accommodate future enrollment increases at the 74-year-old school. “The school district acknowledged that anywhere between three and five years from now, even the expanded space might be inadequate,” he said. “I don't want to see Makefield kids get redistricted to other schools because I think neighborhood schools are important. I would have preferred they increase the space even more, but that ultimately is not our decision as a board of supervisors. I asked Pennsbury's chief executive officer to consider anything possible to avoid redistricting at any of the Lower Makefield schools.” The amount of added space, about 7,000 square feet to a school now 68,000 square feet, was decided on after much deliberation among school board members and administrators and with input from residents.

“I believe it will be sufficient for at least five years,” he said. “People ask why not add more space than that, but you're limited by the size of the tract. You can't overbuild the property.”

“The positives far outweighed the negatives in my mind,” said Stainthorpe. “There are some pretty progressive pieces to this project and the building is definitely in need of an update.” The project includes a new and larger cafeteria and kitchen. Some empty space will be renovated to create a new library and music room, and there will be lots of other work throughout the entire building, including overhauls to the heating, ventilation and other mechanical systems. Also, the entire building will be air conditioned.

The renovation-expansion is scheduled to receive LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification under the U.S. Green Building Council.