Arabia Mountain High School (DeKalb County), Savannah Country Day School (Private), Springdale Park Elementary School (APS) to split $10,000 Award Money
MEDIA CONTACT: Matt Cardoza, GaDOE Communications Office, (404) 651-7358, mcardoza@gadoe.org or Keisha Ford-Jenrette, GaDOE Recognitions Office, (404) 657-2949, kford@gadoe.org
May 3, 2012 -- U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan last week announced that Georgia has three U.S. Department of Education National Green Ribbon Schools. The list includes 78 schools that span 29 states and D.C.
“I congratulate Georgia’s three National Green Ribbon Schools,” said State School Superintendent Dr. John Barge. “These schools have demonstrated through a very difficult application process that they are operating more efficiently and offering a healthier environment for our students.”
The 78 awarded schools were named winners from among nearly 100 nominees submitted by 30 state education agencies, the District of Columbia and the Bureau of Indian Education. More than 350 schools completed applications to their state education agencies. Among the list of winners are 66 public schools including 8 charters, and 12 private schools composed of 43 elementary, 31 middle and 26 high schools with around 50 percent representing high poverty schools.
Through a partnership involving the Georgia Department of Education, Lt. Governor Casey Cagle, the U.S. Green Building Council of Georgia, Georgia EPD, the Clean Air Campaign, and the Turner Foundation, four schools from Georgia were nominated to compete for the newly launched U.S. Department of Education’s National Green Ribbon Schools program.
The three national-winning schools will split $10,000 in prize money from the Turner Foundation for demonstrating energy efficiency efforts.
ARABIA MOUNTAIN HIGH SCHOOL
Arabia Mountain High School, a DeKalb County public school, was the first LEED Certified public school in Georgia. Each year, they purchase 60% renewable energy, divert over 72 tons of waste through a robust recycling program. They have implemented water efficient fixtures for both indoor and outdoor water use, have green procurement process for cleaning supplies, paper and furniture, and it is a Clean Air School. Arabia Mountain has implemented Environmental Integrated Curriculum and currently has 100% of their students testing proficient on the science section of the Georgia High School Graduation Test.
SAVANNAH COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL
Savannah Country Day School is a private school in Savannah, Georgia and was certified LEED Silver in 2009. The school saves energy by using a passive solar design with daylighting and efficient lighting fixtures. They have implemented water efficient fixtures for both indoor and outdoor water use, have green procurement process for cleaning supplies, paper, and furniture. Over 75% of their students either walk, bike, bus or carpool to the campus each day, and 35% of the food used in the school is grown within a 200 mile radius of the campus. The school has nine outdoor classrooms and several onsite school gardens.
SPRINGDALE PARK ELEMENTARY
Springdale Park Elementary School, an Atlanta public school, was certified LEED Gold and generates 18% of its energy from an onsite geothermal ground source heat pump which both heats and cools the school. The school further saves energy by using a passive solar design with day-lighting, sensors, and efficient lighting fixtures. They have implemented water efficient fixtures for both indoor and outdoor water use, have green procurement process for cleaning supplies, paper, and furniture, and it is a Clean Air School. They have two onsite school gardens and 39% of the food used in the school is grown within a 200 mile radius of the campus. In every grade, the environmental science standards listed in the Georgia Performance Standards are taught applying the scientific method also known as the Characteristics of Science.
