As an editor, I’m always excited to hit the road and meet the people who drive the facility management industry. It’s inspiring to leave an event with a brain full of story ideas, full notepads and a pocket full of business cards.
One of my favorite shows to attend is the Green Schools Conference, hosted last month by the U.S. Green Building Council. It’s a gathering of sustainability leaders from K-12 schools across the country for a week’s worth of education sessions, site visits, networking and ideas exchanges.
When I look back on this year’s conference in San Diego, a few thoughts came to mind:
Indoor air quality (IAQ) is as important as ever. School districts with older buildings like Boston Public Schools are crunching data and using sensors to continually monitor IAQ and present the data publicly to hold its staff accountable to maintain healthy levels.
Smaller school districts are sustainability stars, too. A few examples include a small district in Indiana using energy savings performance contracts for net zero renovations, or an elementary school near San Diego that was the first LEED Platinum Public K-12 project in California in 2013.
Green schoolyards are replacing the asphalt-heavy spaces that were popular in the 1980s. Large school districts in Philadelphia and Los Angeles are seeing students benefit socially and academically from these projects, in addition to realizing environmental benefits such as mitigating stormwater and cooler surface temperatures.
A final takeaway that touches all these thoughts: Positivity. K-12 schools aren’t always swimming in funds for these kinds of projects, yet many district leaders at Green Schools are finding ways to succeed.
Look for more coverage from the Green Schools Conference in the magazine and online at FacilitiesNet.com throughout the year.
Dave Lubach is the chief editor of the facilities market. He has 10 years of experience writing about facilities management and maintenance issues.
