Sustainability
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Sustainable, Healthy Schools |
rev. 3/23/2012
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Sustainable, Healthy Schools
Research and studies demonstrate a direct, positive relationship among sustainable, healthy buildings and student achievement, teacher effectiveness and student health.
Our commitment to sustainability projects addresses the district’s highest priorities: enhancing student achievement and keeping our students and staff safe, warm and dry. These projects also have the benefit of long-term cost savings, reducing the district’s footprint and establishing a consciousness of environmental stewardship in the next generation through visible, interactive features in our schools.
Resource Conservation
As Portland's second-largest property owner and one of the city's largest employers, Portland Public Schools works to incorporate sustainable practices and resource conservation into its daily operations and future design plans. When setting policies and practices, the Portland Public Schools Board of Education attends to the three pillars of sustainability in all decisions affecting the future of Portland.
- Environmental
- Social
- Economic
Upholding these three pillars of sustainability has included following the logic of the waste hierarchy: reduce, reuse and recycle with regard to solid waste and materials. The district takes a similar attitude toward energy usage in: behavior adaptation, efficiency improvements and energy generation. More on these projects and conservation efforts can be found on the Facilities & Asset Management Sustainability page.
Capital Projects & LEED Certification
Future capital work will focus on extending conservation efforts at existing buildings through the design, construction and operation to create high performance schools that enhance the health and education of all building occupants. The United States Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) rating system is currently the most recognized industry standard for measuring achievement in sustainable design. The district will pursue LEED on new construction and major renovation, when appropriate. PPS currently has two LEED-certified projects:
- Rosa Parks Elementary School — LEED Gold (2007)
- daVinci Evans-Harvard Classroom — LEED Platinum (2009)
PPS Projects
Rosa Parks School | Evans-Harvard High Performance Classroom | Solar Re-Roofing | Recovery Zone Bond
Resources
