Green Buildings

Green Schools CO

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Green Schools Colorado

The USGBC Colorado Chapter is working with a diverse group of stakeholders at the state and local level, including architects and engineers, teachers and principals, educators and energy officials. Our goal is to Green Colorado’s Schools Within a Generation.

In the coming months, the Green School Advocacy Campaign will continue to identify key partners, provide information to support legislation in the upcoming General Assembly regarding capital funds for green school projects, and continue to develop and support local District Councils to work at the local level.

The state of Colorado public schools is critical. According to a 2005 Report issued by Denver-based Donnell-Kay Foundation, the total backlog of school construction and maintenance needs statewide is between $5.7 billion and $10 billion. Over 80 counties in Colorado in 2007 lack the bonding capacity to build schools, and many more are unable to raise adequate funds to meet current facility needs.

The Opportunity

The financial benefits of building green appear quickly and last for the life of the school in the form of energy savings, and decreased human resource costs related to staff turnover and employee absenteeism. Fossil Ridge High School, a LEED Certified school in Fort Collins, saves $100,000 a year – enough to hire two new teachers, buy 150 new computers, or purchase 5,000 new textbooks. 

• Green schools lead to improved student health, test scores, and faculty retention;
• Green schools have better lighting, temperature control, improved ventilation and indoor air quality which contribute to reduced asthma, colds, flu, and absenteeism; and
• Green schools reduce the dangerous air pollutants that cause respiratory disease and contribute to premature morbidity and mortality.