Gunn High School
Palo Alto Unified School District
2005-06
Green Business Implementation Plan
OVERVIEW
Over the past five years, environmental programs have expanded significantly on the
Gunn campus. Initial efforts to enhance the safety of alternative modes of transportation
via the Gunn Organization For Alternative Safe Transportation (GO-FAST) have
evolved into comprehensive programs for traffic reduction and awareness. Furthermore,
the school has made efforts to reduce paper use and developed a comprehensive
recycling system. These initial successes were the result of uncoordinated action and
there has been no strategic vision or master plan to guide environmental efforts at
Gunn. This report is an attempt to fill this void by setting goals and implementation
strategies for achieving real progress in the areas of energy and water conservation,
waste reduction and recycling, and pollution prevention. Working within the framework
of the Green Business Program, the school hopes to dramatically lower its
environmental footprint and associated financial costs. Thanks to the Strategic
Partnership with the Palo Alto Unified School District, half of the savings from these
efforts will flow directly into school programs and future conservation efforts.
WHAT IS BEING DONE
A variety of programs and initiatives have already been implemented in the interest of
reducing traffic, promoting environmental stewardship, and saving money. These include:
Pollution Prevention
1. Students/staff are encouraged to bike thanks to a) the Pedal for Prizes
bike incentive program sponsored by the PTSA and SAO, b) Way2Go
Week prizes and celebration in the Quad, c) new bike racks around
campus, d) safer access to campus along new bike lanes due to a
revised parking lot flow, and e) secure parking facilities.
2. Gunn students now enjoy the use of the free Palo Alto Shuttle to Gunn
and fee-based district bus service for students living in Los Altos Hills,
Palo Alto Hills, Stanford, and Stanford West.
3. The school encourages students to carpool by a) selling parking
permits at greatly increased prices but giving a price break to students
who purchase carpool permits, b) allowing students who carpool
and/or live far from school to buy permits first, c) providing preferential
parking to carpoolers, and d) working with the City to reduce
neighborhood parking near the school.
4. Income from the sale of parking permits is used to subsidize VTA
(Valley Transportation Authority) monthly bus passes and bike prizes
for students.
5. Every other year, the school conducts a transportation survey to
assess the effectiveness of alternative transportation incentive efforts
and to gauge student commute habits. A focus group was also
conducted to determine student attitudes about alternative
transportation.
6. The school publicizes information about alternative transportation by
a) producing a guide to alternative transportation that is included in
each student’s summer information packet, b) publicizing traffic/safety
issues in the GO-FAST corner of the Gunn Connection and Spotlight
newsletter, c) providing local transit info in the Student Activties
Center, d) publishing a yearly neighborhood carpool directory (which
has been adopted by other local schools), and e) posting the
Transportation Survey on the school website.
7. Gunn receives Spare-the-Air alerts and passes them on to employees
and families.
Paper Reduction
1. The school has reduced its demand for office paper by a) switching to
email for the bulletin and most staff communication, b) making doublesided copying the default, c) putting the course catalog and summer
mailing online, d) printing on the back of drafts, and e) using fax post-it
notes in place of cover sheets.
2. School elections are held online to reduce the need for ballots and to
speed the vote counting process.
3. Staff memos are circulated in reused circulation envelopes and
magazines and newspapers are shared on campus.
4. Paper-saving tips with ideas for reducing paper use in the classroom
are emailed to staff at the beginning of every year.
5. The SAC stocks recycled paper napkins/dishware and biodegradable
cutlery and makes these available for student and staff events.
6. The school stocks all bathrooms with unbleached, recycled hand
towels and toilet paper and uses 30% recycled-content paper in the
copy room.
Recycling
1. Gunn has recently created a school-wide recycling system that
collects newspaper, mixed paper, bottles/cans, and cardboard in every
classroom on campus.
2. The Student Activities Center (SAC) collects used toners, inkjet
cartridges, glasses, shoes, CD’s, tapes, videocassettes, computer
disks, and cell phones for recycling and the math/science office
collects and recycles used batteries.
3. Electronic waste (computers, printers, cell phones, etc.) is collected in
the copy room and SAC and recycled periodically and staff recycle or
refill spent ink cartridges and laser toners when depleted.
4. Grass clippings are left on the lawn to compost and other garden
debris is taken to the city composting facility.
5. Homecoming floats are constructed on reusable bases that stay with a
class for the entire duration of its time at Gunn.
INITIAL SUCCESSES
During Gunn’s initial year as a Certified Green Business, it avoided over $20,000 in gas,
electricity and water charges compared to the amount budgeted by the District. The
school therefore received a check for $13,289 which included a bonus for starting the
partnership. Unfortunately, this year’s data is not as promising, so it is critical to
continue efforts to reduce Gunn’s utility use.
RECOGNITION
Gunn High School efforts to promote environmental responsibility have not gone
unnoticed. The school has been recognized in a number of ways:
1. In its December 8th, 2004 meeting, the Santa Clara County Air Quality
Resource Team decided to promote school traffic reduction in Mountain
View, Milpitas and Sunnyvale by adopting the model traffic reduction
program (GOFAST) pioneered at Gunn High School in Palo Alto.
2. The American Lung Association recognized GO-FAST with its Clean Air
Award for Transportation Programs. GO-FAST was lauded for its efforts to
publicize alternative transportation and to promote biking, riding the bus, and
carpooling on campus.
3. After implementing a number of environmental measures over the course of
the last two years, Gunn received Bay Area Green Business Certification in
the Summer of 2005.
4. Most recently, Gunn received a Merit Award from the Metropolitan
Transportation Commission for tackling the “teen car culture” with its GOFAST initiatives to reduce single occupant vehicles.
GOALS
Further efforts are needed to decrease the environmental footprint of the school and to
realize financial savings. The following goals shall serve as targets in order for
coordinators and Gunn staff to track progress in the four areas of green business
management between now and the time we are recertified:
By 2007-2008, Gunn will:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Reduce water use 20%.
Cut energy use 20%.
Achieve a 50% recycling rate.
Reduce garbage service by one bin ($20,000 per year).
5. Increase alternative commuter participation rate to 80%.
6. Switch 75% of cleaners to non-toxic, biodegradable formulations.
FUTURE EFFORTS
Implementation of the following environmental steps will help Gunn achieve its
recertification goals. Steps with maximum savings and minimum cost are preferred.
General
1. Monitor Utility Expenditures and Use by creating tables and graph that allow
year to year comparisons.
2. Create a Green Business Bulletin Board in the main office to display
environmental updates and suggestions.
 Energy use, water use, and garbage generation
 Cost savings and environmental benefits
 Waste reduction, energy efficiency, pollution prevention and water
conservation tips
3. Distribute Staff Guide with environmental tips at the beginning of the year.
 Introduce Green Business program and liaisons.
 Discuss environmental services offered at Gunn.
 Identify recycling procedure for various items.
 Develop Energy Star computer sleep/lighting campaign.
 Provide guidelines for waste, energy, pollution and water.
4. Give a Green Business Report at staff meetings once a semester.
 Report on energy use, water use, and garbage generation.
 Publicize cost savings and environmental benefits.
 Identify programs funded from cost savings (including staff incentives).
 Highlight tips for waste, energy, pollution, and water.
 Publicize end-of-year recycling procedure/summer energy check-out.
5. Publicize Green Business information to the school community.
 Post Green Business pledge and decal in office and on website (with
link to Green Business Program).
 Publicize usage, cost savings, and tips in the Connection, Spotlight,
and at a Board Meeting.
 Sponsor Earth Day photo contest among student body.
 Recruit other schools that are interested in becoming a Green
Business.
Waste Reduction & Recycling
1. Create a recycled-content/low-waste purchasing and packaging policy.
2. Implement a composting and recycling program for food waste.
3. Train custodians to sort waste more efficiently.
4. Order quarterly C&D bins and set-up a bulk waste disposal procedure.
5. Create office paper and supplies procurement policy.
6. Add recycling capacity for athletic events.
7. Obtain faxing software for staff computers.
8. Implement a junk-mail reduction program.
9. Install Xcelerator hand dryers in all bathrooms.
10. Create classroom paper reduction plan (blogs, online assignments, email).
Energy Conservation
1. Implement an Energy Star/donation purchasing guideline for the District.
2. Install energy-saving software/publicity on all school computers.
3. Swap old refrigerators with energy-efficient models.
4. Identify opportunities for delamping classrooms and offices.
5. Install timers on lights without motion detectors (especially big rooms).
6. Switch outdoor lighting to photocell control.
7. Move control of heating to the site and set for conservation.
8. Implement a nighttime and summer shut-down procedure.
9. Shade AC condensers.
10. Switch to T8’s/CFL’s/LED exit signs.
Water Conservation
1. Mandate low-flow or waterless fixtures, automatic faucets, and low-flow
landscaping as part of a water conservation policy.
2. Conduct a monthly leak check on a regular basis.
3. Place borders around landscaped areas to prevent erosion and runoff.
4. Mulch all non-turf surfaces.
5. Use repeat cycles for landscaping.
6. Replace turf with water-efficient landscaping.
7. Install an automatic rain shut-off device.
8. Install 0.5/2.2 gpm aerators and 1.5 gpm showers.
9. Replace old toilets with ULF and waterless urinals.
10. Cover pool when not in use.
Pollution Prevention
1. Assess labs for chemical storage and disposal practices.
2. Implement a organic cotton/sweatshop-free purchasing policy.
3. Complete self-assessment and switch to non-toxic cleaners.
4. Switch to rechargeable batteries in the math/science department.
5. Investigate the use of soy-based inks.
6. Stencil storm drains: Flows to Bay.
7. Mulch/prevent runoff in areas around storm drains.
8. Cover bike racks and create hybrid parking.
9. Promote alternative transportation among staff.
10. Replace mercury thermometers/thermostats.
FOOD SERVICE GUIDELINES
The waste audit conducted by the City of Palo Alto determined that a large percentage
of Gunn’s waste comes from food service. Thus, it is critical that the new food service
provider, Chartwells, adopt measures to reduce waste generation from its operations
and adopt the Food Service guideline developed by the Green Business Program.
Possible areas of improvement in the food service arena:
1. Installation of energy-efficient refrigeration/freezers/ice and vending machines
2. Installation of low-flow spray valve/aerators/water-efficient dishmachine
3. Use of organic/local/vegetarian food
4. Composting/recycling of kitchen and food waste.
5. Purchase of recycled/chlorine-free disposables
6. Use of environmentally-friendly cleaners
MEETING AGENDA
In order to kick-off the Green Business Implementation plan, a committee of district and
school staff met in the beginning of January to sketch out strategies, identify resources,
and assign areas of responsibility for various steps (Jerry Matranga, Duane Kester,
Gretchen Hayes, Chartwells, Reps, Nik Kaestner). Meeting topics included:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Energy Efficiency Upgrades & Financing
Landscaping & Water Conservation Measures
Procurement Policy
Green Specs for Admin/RC Retrofit
Nontoxic Cleaners
Food Service Green Business Certification
Certfification: Green Business and Energy Star
School Issues:
1. food: organic/local, composting
2. construction: LEED
3. renewable energy
4. recycling/reusing