K-12 School and School District Sustainability Topics
Dawn Tarzian/Committee Members
May 17, 2010
Category
Topic Area
Education for
Sustainability
K-12
Career
Preparation
K-12
EDUCATION
AND
CAREER
AWARENESS
FACILITIES
AND
Potential Data to Collect
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Identify and adopt sustainability learning power standards
Designate where each standard will be taught (grade level, subject area)
Determine which standards are addressed with current curriculum
Develop and adopt additional curricular materials to fully cover standards
Train teachers around standards and where they are to be taught (grade, subject)
Train teachers in use of new curricular materials
Make teachers aware of additional resources for sustainability education, particularly
community partners (Dream Team)
 Provide information in the “High School Counts!” course catalogs identifying
sustainability opportunities within career pathways
 Facilitate community connections with business, non-profits, and other organizations
to provide students opportunities to explore careers with a sustainability focus- CIS
Connections
 Involve sustainability-focused businesses in Career Day.
 Integrate sustainability into career counseling. Provided information to HS counselors
to support career counseling in sustainability options for career or higher ed.
opportunities.
Sustainability
Education for
Staff
 Develop a list of skills, knowledge, and activities that the district wants each Corvallis
School District staff member to know and do.
 Identify a pilot group of staff members from across grade levels and buildings to
begin sustainability conversation for students and for staff
 Summer Sustainability Workshop/Training (Aug 9-13) – STEPS (formally SEPS)
 Identify an annual District Sustainability focus to manage time needed to support
teacher training and implementation.
 Include Sustainability Curriculum training in new teacher orientation.
 Develop an assessment or proficiency indicator for student mastery of skills and
knowledge adapted for grade level/course. Develop an assessment tool to measure
evidence of skills, knowledge and activities in staff behavior and performance.
Service-Learning
K-12
 Provide students opportunities to participate in service learning projects that include a
sustainability connection
 Develop district and graduation requirements for service-learning projects that include
a sustainability component
Buildings
 Develop a District Energy Plan/Procedure – SPARKS Program (set point, operations)
 Develop a staff/students communication/implementation plan.
 Monitor annual district energy costs, track monthly consumption of all school
buildings, including building energy leaders in the process.
‘09-‘10
X
X
X
Pilot
‘10-‘11
Pilot
Beyond
‘11
X
X
X
X
X
Implement
X
X
X
X
X
X
Energy
Waste
Man-ment
X
X
X
X
Complete
OPERATION
Buildings
(cont.)
Grounds and
Landscaping
Indoor
Environment/
Toxics
 Compare energy cost per sq. ft. to other districts.
 Develop a building profile including size, occupancy, heating/cooling system, fuel
type, age, overall condition, etc.
 Assess Physical Plants, including age/upkeep of systems, ability to track/schedule
maintenance, etc.
 Review the results and recommendations of recent energy audits, and identify any
changes that have been made.- Initially made 2003-2004
 Identify training opportunities specific to the district energy plan for facilities and
maintenance staff.
 Identify the role of outside vendors/agencies in facilities and maintenance staff.
 Identify what maintenance records are kept, and make sure they are consistent
across the district.
 Energy Star ratings for each building
X
Complete
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
?
 Research and identify if there are invasive species (terrestrial and/or aquatic) at a
school or district site.
 Determine the overall health of any creek on district property. Examples of creek
health components:
 Water quality (temperature is the most common parameter to monitor, but
also dissolved oxygen, turbidity, bacteria, pH, nutrients, etc.);
 Riparian vegetation (species composition and cover);
 In-stream habitat (channel complexity - pools, riffles, large wood, undercut
banks, etc.);
 Presence of invasive vegetation;
 Erosion;
 Impervious surface (parking lots and/or structures near the creek);
 Storm drain run-off effects;
 Floodplain connectivity;
 Fish and invertebrate presence (traps, snorkel surveys, etc.).
 Develop a plan to monitor creek health.
 Identify which buildings have a garden, greenhouse, and/or compost area and the
condition and use of them.
 Identify the energy costs & emissions for mowing.
 Identify the water usage for irrigation (ex: athletic fields).
 Identify any planting and/or fertilizing costs in order to ascertain ways to minimize
cost.
 Determine whether there is a pest management plan based on Integrated Pest
Management (IPM) principles.
 Identify the cleaning supplies and floor finishers that are used.
 Develop a plan and timeline to move the District to using only environmentally friendly
and health friendly supplies.
 Monitor and evaluate indoor air quality.
 Develop and implement an indoor air quality concern response plan.
 Develop and implement a chemical management plan.
 Develop and implement a training plan regarding indoor environments and toxic
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Managing
Sustainability
SYSTEMS
AND
SERVICES
Food and
Wellness
materials for administrators and teachers.
 Develop and implement a maintenance record of building ventilation system,
ductwork and replacement of filters.
 Conduct an assessment of carpet age.
 Conduct an assessment of paint types
 Implement the use of only low/no VOC paints.
X
X
 Develop and adopt a district sustainability Board policy and Administrative Rules.
 Convene a sustainability steering committee.
 Develop a sustainability matrix and implement an action plan.
X
X
 Institute a sustainability coordinator position to support and guide district sustainability
work.
 Develop a sustainability management system.
Part I: District
 Sustain a district/community Wellness Council. Initially convened 2004-2005
 Develop active & measurable wellness program
 Food:
 Identify the vegan and vegetarian options offered in cafeterias.
 Identify the low-fat and cholesterol-free food options that are offered on the
school campus, including cafeteria à la carte items, vending machines, etc.
 Identify the fresh fruits and vegetables options available.
 Identify the nondairy beverage offerings.
 Calculate where the food comes from and how many miles the food travels.
 Identify the local food options.
 Identify the organic food options.
 Identify any food offerings grown on site.
 Display the nutrition facts and other food facts information in a readily available
way.
 Identify the Fair Trade food/beverages served.
 Identify any social justice/environmental issues with any of the food served on
campus, and implement a plan to stop carrying the items (e.g., bottled water)
 Identify and evaluate food costs – supplies and preparation
 Parents driving to school: reduce fuel dependency/ get exercise
 Consider a mandated monthly walk/bike to school day.
 Mandate health teams (like safety teams or site council) for all schools
 Develop and implement admin/teacher training around wellness.
 Focus the district as a whole around wellness—e.g., policy around fundraising—no
junk food, etc.
 Include bus drivers in wellness initiatives.
 Develop a plan to fill in the funding gap for when the Safe Routes to School grant
goes away.
 Develop and implement curriculum to address sustainable food and wellness
Part II: Site-Based
X
X
Complete
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
NOTE: Food and
Wellness Section to
be completed by the
Wellness Council.
Food and
Wellness
(cont.)
Transportation
 Designate a site representative to the Wellness Council
 Solicit principal support, request mandated teacher participation but done by 3:30 pm
 Dedicate staff meeting time for discussion/training
 If there is a garden or greenhouse, identify whether food is grown for the school’s use
and/or for the local community, and if so, how much.
 Determine whether food waste is composted, and if so, how much.
 Determine if there is enough PE.
 PE as physical activity—walking, cycling, getting to school
 School rewards policy—no junk. Only recycled, useful, US made items or high fives
 At schools:
 Greenhouses
 Plots
 Gardens
 Food waste is composted
 Farm to school focus
 Use contracts with local farmers
 Gather data regarding student and staff transportation
 Determine how far the average student travels to get to school.
 Determine how far the average staff member travels to get to work.
 Determine how students and staff travel to and from school.
 Determine how much is spent each month on diesel for the bus routes.
 Determine the total fuel consumption by buses and total miles driven.
 Investigate use of walking school buses.
 Determine safe routes to school.
 Encourage and celebrate students and staff to walk, ride a bike, take the school bus,
take public transportation, or carpool (e.g., enforced preferential parking with danglers
for carpool participants).
 Develop a plan to provide for covered bike parking which is close to each school.
 Develop a partnership with the City of Corvallis to allow for free city bus transport for
students.
 Explore the option of using biodiesel in school buses.
 Evaluate the bus routes for maximum efficiency and monitor on an annual basis.
 Implement a communication plan to develop understanding regarding environmental
and physical health issues related to idling. Implement a “No Idling” policy at every
building for school buses and private vehicles.
 Develop an awareness/education plan to improve the mileage of existing district, bus
contractor and staff vehicles (e.g., students check the tire pressure of cars).
 Evaluate alternative fuels for district vehicles.
 Monitor annual fuel and maintenance costs.
 Identify age of equipment.
 Retrofit buses to be less polluting.
 Develop a plan to encourage and implement District shop uses sustainable practices
 Use a shop that has been certified by the Oregon Eco-Biz program for recognizing
businesses with high environmental standards.
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
 Work with local transit district to partner for increased efficiencies.
Procurement
and Resource
Management
Procurement
and Resource
Management
(cont.)
Part I: Materials
 Update and expand the District purchasing policy to include required and
recommended guidelines to decrease impact of material use both at the central and
building level.
 Determine the % of purchases that are sustainable and/or green products
 Determine recycling % of total waste.
 Discontinue use of plastic bottled water
 Identify the major purchases at the sites each year.
 Identify the carbon footprint, life cycle effects and other environmental impacts
of each purchase made at each site.
 Identify the items bought in bulk, and explore expanding this option.
 Identify the items bought in bulk with other schools or other school districts.
 Identify the items that are made locally.
 Evaluate the factors that are considered when making a purchase (e.g., is the
true cost considered, or is it strictly what is cheapest?).
 Purchase sustainable/reusable/biodegradable utensils & napkins for the
cafeteria
 Evaluate packaging of food, e.g., milk containers
 Calculate the number of disposable utensils and napkins used each year, and
explore purchasing these types of items in bulk with other districts.
 Stop selling items on campus that are either not reusable or not recyclable.
 Evaluate all recycling programs.
 Recycle at extracurricular events.
 Recycle cans, plastic, cardboard
 Reuse cardboard boxes, folders and file folders
 Recycle in the halls, cafeteria, library and other common areas.
 Determine the ratio of trashcans to recycling bins at your building, and develop a plan
to reduce this ratio.
 Calculate the ratio of total trash collected each week to total recycling collected, and
develop a plan to reduce this ratio.
 If appropriate, recycle newspapers for the garden/composting.
 Purchase recycled-content printer paper.
 Purchase recycled-content toilet paper and paper towels.
 Purchase printer paper with a low chlorine content and/or low brightness rating.
 Make one-sided paper available at copy machines, and provide clear instructions for
loading one-sided paper.
 Encourage staff to reduce paper use.
 Encourage teachers to use websites for their classes and to collect assignments
electronically.
 Encourage teachers to reduce the margins on assignments, accept single-spacing,
accept work on previously used paper, and encourage double-sided printing.
 Evaluate the school-logo clothing for your athletes, school store and staff based on a)
where it is manufactured, the working conditions for the people making the school-
X
logo clothing, and the material for the school-logo clothing made.
 Conduct annual audits to evaluate recycling/re-use program
 Guidelines for technology purchases
Procurement
and Resource
Management
(cont.)
Part II: Energy
 Convene a District-wide building energy team (SPARKS – School Personnel
Advocating A Reduction in KilowattS)
 Conduct a baseline energy use audit.
 Record and monitor how much electricity each building uses each month.
 Identify devices that use energy/electricity in classrooms.
 Identify devices that use energy/electricity in the common areas (halls, offices,
cafeteria. library, etc.)
 Identify where and when the most energy is used.
 Develop strategies for reducing energy.
 Evaluate current alternative energy use.
 Evaluate solar panels output, and determine the feasibility of expanding the number
of solar panels.
 Calculate the carbon footprint for each site.
 Identify strategies to achieve the Governor’s announced greenhouse gas reduction
goals (arrest increases by 2010; reduce to 10% below 1990 levels by 2020; reduce to
75% below 1990 levels by 2050).
 Determine energy use per square foot.
 Determine if daylight is being used effectively.
 Determine how much energy is from renewable energy sources.
Part III: Water
 Conduct a water use audit.
 Determine how much water each site uses each month.
 Identify (if possible) where the majority of water is used at each site.
 Identify and replace any damaged or leaking drinking fountains, faucets, toilets,
showers in halls, classrooms, bathrooms, kitchens and cafeterias.
 Identify and replace older, high flow toilets
 Identify and replace any damaged or leaking exterior watering or sprinkler
systems.
 Develop a water monitoring system, including use and quality.
 In places where there aren’t automatic watering devices, place signs reminding users
to conserve water.
 Develop effective methods for watering the grounds at each site, including the fields.
 Explore the option of using rain and/or runoff storage as a source of water for
watering the grounds.
 Explore other gray water solutions.
 Track of utility bills, waste removal costs per bldg.
Part VI: Buildings
 New construction needs to be addressed and contained in building standards.
 Recycle building materials
 Use salvaged, refurbished and reused products when possible
Community
Involvement
Community
Involvement
(cont.)
COMMUNITY
AND
CULTURE
 Identify community partners that are working on sustainability issues or could provide
education support, including community colleges and universities.
 Organize community partners and resources so that they are easy for teachers and
staff to use (organized by levels, key contacts).
 Identify opportunities for students (e.g. SPROG, Focus the Nation).
 Identify post secondary and ESD partners and the support/resources they can
provide.
 Create community wide opportunities for input to be given, direction set and vision
established.
 Support the interest and leadership of secondary school students in their commitment
to sustainability.
Multi-Cultural
Proficiency
 Translate district program into Spanish and other major first languages as possible.
 Seek guidance from minority communities through cultural advisory groups to tailor
programs and communications to ethnic or culturally unique groups.
 Involve high school diversity or cultural clubs in sustainability communication, seeking
guidance on multi-cultural involvement.
Communications
 Implement a sustainability awareness and communication plan
 Develop plan for communicating energy saving measures.
 Highlight sustainability work/projects success on the district and school
websites
 Maintain District web page information on sustainability initiatives/savings.
 Develop a logo to communicate energy savings as purpose for conserving and using.
 Communicate regularly the success of energy efficiencies.
 Publish a monthly sustainability article that includes logo to school newsletters, local
media and district web page through the sustainability committee.
 Offer sustainability suggestions for home in parent newsletters.
 Post sustainability efforts and opportunities in school offices and classrooms.
 Use bulletin board at schools and Board room to highlight sustainability efforts and
opportunities
X
School sustainability is also impacted by other areas including: funding, budgeting, land use planning, readiness for kindergarten, human resource
practices and much more.
S:\DO\Super\Julie\Sustainability Committee\Sustainability Data List- 5-17-10.doc