Woodlake Unified School District | BP 3510 Business and Noninstructional Operations
Green School Operations
The Governing Board believes everyone has a responsibility to be a steward of the environment and desires to integrate environmental accountability into all district programs and operations. The Superintendent or designee shall develop strategies to promote district use of "green" school principles and practices in order to conserve natural resources, reduce the impact of district operations on the environment, and protect the health of students, staff, and the community.
In developing such strategies and assessing the environmental conditions in district facilities and operations, the Superintendent or designee shall involve staff at all levels and with varying job responsibilities, including administrators, certificated staff, and classified staff. As appropriate, the Superintendent or designee may also consult with health professionals; representatives of local governmental agencies, utilities, solid waste and recycling companies, and community organizations; and/or others with expertise.
(cf. 1220 - Citizen Advisory Committees)
(cf. 1400 - Relations Between Other Governmental Agencies and the Schools)
(cf. 7131 - Relations with Local Agencies)
In selecting and prioritizing strategies, the Superintendent or designee shall give consideration to long-term potential cost savings, initial costs, feasibility of implementation, quality and performance of the product or service, health impacts, environmental considerations, and potential educational value.
(cf. 3100 - Budget)
(cf. 3460 - Financial Reports and Accountability)
District strategies may include, but are not limited to:
1. Reducing energy and water consumption, and using renewable and clean energy technologies and alternatives when available
(cf. 3511 - Energy and Water Management)
2. Establishing recycling programs in district facilities
(cf. 3511.1 - Integrated Waste Management)
3. Reducing the consumption of disposable materials by reusing materials and by using electronic rather than paper communications when feasible
4. Using environmentally preferable products and services whenever practical, including, but not limited to, products that:
a. Minimize environmental impacts, toxins, pollutants, odors, and hazards
b. Contain postconsumer recycled content
c. Are durable and long-lasting
d. Conserve energy and water
e. Reduce waste
(cf. 3514 - Environmental Safety)
(cf. 3514.1 - Hazardous Substances)
(cf. 5141.23 - Asthma Management)
5. Using least toxic, independently certified green cleaning products when feasible, as well as high-efficiency cleaning equipment that reduces the need to use chemicals
6. Providing professional development to maintenance staff in the proper use, storage, and disposal of cleaning supplies
(cf. 4231 - Staff Development)
7. Using effective, least toxic pest management practices for the control and management of pests
(cf. 3514.2 - Integrated Pest Management)
8. Ensuring that any construction of new facilities complies with green building standards pursuant to 24 CCR 101.1-703.1, and focusing on sustainability and student health in the design and implementation of facilities modernization projects
(cf. 7110 - Facilities Master Plan)
(cf. 7111 - Evaluating Existing Buildings)
(cf. 7150 - Site Selection and Development)
9. Reducing vehicle emissions by:
a. Encouraging students to walk or bicycle to school or to use district or public transportation
(cf. 5142.2 - Safe Routes to School Program)
b. Using reduced or zero emission school buses and vehicles and providing accompanying infrastructure such as charging stations
(cf. 3540 - Transportation)
c. Limiting unnecessary idling of school buses in accordance with 13 CCR 2480
d. Limiting unnecessary idling of personal vehicles by encouraging parents/guardians, through signage or other means of communication, to turn off their vehicles when parked on and around school grounds
10. Implementing green school practices in the district's food service programs by:
a. Providing fresh, locally sourced, unprocessed, organic food, including plant-based options, when available
b. Reducing food packaging and using packaging that is recyclable and/or biodegradable
c. Utilizing reusable products
d. Encouraging zero-waste lunches when food is brought from home
e. Maintaining a system for food waste, such as composting
f. Providing sharing tables where unused cafeteria food items may, in accordance with Health and Safety Code 114079, be returned for student use or donated to a food bank or other nonprofit charitable organization
(cf. 3550 - Food Service/Child Nutrition Program)
(cf. 3551 - Food Service Operations/Cafeteria Fund)
11. Integrating green school practices and activities into the educational program by providing instruction to students on the importance of the environment, involving students in the implementation and evaluation of green school activities and projects as appropriate, and utilizing green school activities and projects as learning tools
(cf. 6142.5 - Environmental Education)
Legal Reference:
EDUCATION CODE
8700-8707 Environmental education
17070.96 Leroy F. Greene School Facilities Act of 1996, consideration of high performance standards
17072.35 New construction grants; use for designs and materials for high performance schools
17608-17614 Healthy Schools Act of 2000
32370-32376 Recycling paper
33541 Environmental education
101012 Kindergarten through 12th grade school facilities program
FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL CODE
13180-13188 Healthy Schools Act of 2000
HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE
114079 General food safety requirements; unused or returned food
PUBLIC CONTRACT CODE
12400-12404 Environmentally preferable purchasing
PUBLIC RESOURCES CODE
25410-25422 Energy conservation assistance
40050-40063 Integrated waste management act
42630-42647 Schoolsite source reduction and recycling assistance program
CODE OF REGULATIONS, TITLE 2
1859.70.4 Funding for high performance incentive grants
1859.71.6 Additional grant for high performance incentive, new construction
1859.77.4 Additional grants for high performance incentive, site and modernization
CODE OF REGULATIONS, TITLE 5
14010 Standards for school site selection
CODE OF REGULATIONS, TITLE 13
2480 Limitation to school bus idling and idling at schools
CODE OF REGULATIONS, TITLE 24
101.1-703.1 Green building standards
Management Resources:
CALIFORNIA AIR RESOURCES BOARD PUBLICATIONS
School Bus Fleet Webinar, April 20, 2018
COLLABORATIVE FOR HIGH PERFORMING SCHOOLS PUBLICATIONS
CHPS Best Practices Manual
GLOBAL GREEN USA PUBLICATIONS
Healthier, Wealthier, Wiser: A Report on National Green Schools
GREEN SCHOOLS INITIATIVE PUBLICATIONS
Green Schools Buying Guide
HEALTHY SCHOOLS CAMPAIGN PUBLICATIONS
The Quick and Easy Guide to Green Cleaning in Schools, 2nd ed., 2008
WEB SITES
CSBA: http://www.csba.org
California Air Resources Board: http://www.arb.ca.gov
California Department of General Services, Green California: http://www.green.ca.gov
California Energy Commission: http://www.energy.ca.gov
Collaborative for High Performance Schools: http://www.chps.net
Global Green USA: http://www.globalgreen.org
Green Schools Initiative: http://www.greenschools.net
Healthy Schools Campaign: http://www.healthyschoolscampaign.org/programs/gcs
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: http//www.epa.gov
U.S. Green Building Council, LEED Green Building Rating System: http://www.usgbc.org
Policy WOODLAKE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
adopted: August 14, 2019 Woodlake, California