Best of Green Schools 2012

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) officially recognized VBCPS as the recipient of best Green School District nationwide for 2012.

An excerpt from the article found here.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Jan. 16, 2013) –The Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council today announced its second annual “Best of Green Schools” list, which recognizes top educational institutions and individuals across the country for embracing environmental initiatives.

“Year after year we continue to be blown away by the ingenuity and innovation of communities across the country and around the world,” said Rachel Gutter, director of the Center for Green Schools at USGBC. “In these challenging economic times, we’ve seen an impressive commitment on the part of schools, communities and leaders to make the places where our children learn healthy and safe, while putting money back into the classrooms where it belongs.”

The Best of Green Schools 2012 list highlights schools, districts, individuals and communities working toward the common goal of healthy, high-performing learning places for all. The Best of Green Schools 2012 list recognizes the hard work being done across the country and honors the heroes and shining examples of our movement.

The recipients of the Best of Green Schools 2012 include:

School District – Virginia Beach City Public Schools: The current LEED projects in the district total over 1.5 million SF of LEED building space. In addition, VBCPS currently has 21 Energy Star schools totaling 2.3 million SF of building space.

As the Best of Green Schools 2012 list demonstrates, there are many benefits to healthier, safer and more efficient schools. On average, green schools use 33 percent less energy and 32 percent less water than conventionally designed schools, significantly reducing utility costs.

Green schools can save approximately $100,000 on operating costs annually – enough to hire two new teachers, buy 5,000 textbooks or purchase 200 new computers.

Please visit centerforgreenschools.org/bestof2012 for more information on each of this year’s recipients.

HBA has designed numerous facilities for Virginia Beach City’s Public School System, including:

Virginia Beach Middle School (completed in 2010)

 

and Kellam High School (scheduled to be complete in 2013).

Congratulations to those who have lent a hand in making our City one of the best to live, work and raise a family in.

Kelly Goldman