Green Schools Committee2011 Annual Report

Objective

• Founded in 2007-08, the Green Schools Committee develops and recommends to the Board of Trustees policies to lighten the District's environmental footprint and integrate environmental education and student participation into school-wide environmental initiatives, including using partnerships with environmental education providers.

Climate Compact Agreement

• In April 2008, SCCS signed on to the Climate Action Compact in collaboration with UCSC, the City and County of Santa Cruz, and others

• SCCS agreed to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases and set up targets for further reductions

• SCCS will participate in the anticipated Climate Action Compact 2.0, targeted for early summer 2011

2011 Members of the SCCS Green Schools Committee

• Cathlin Atchison-City of Santa Cruz

Green Business• Helayne Ballaban-teacher, GSCFT

representative• Stu Branoff-teacher• Joanne Brown-teacher• Josh Brown-AFE student• Wes Chan-Soquel student• Julia Davenport-Resource Cons.

District Rep• Stacey Falls-teacher• Lynn Guenther-SPECTRA artist• Cynthia Hawthorne-trustee• Jesse Honig- SCHS student• Mary Anne James-curriculum

• Jeanne LePage-Ecology Action• Sue Lisin-parent• Derek Mather-AFE student• Marcia Mather-parent• Bill Maxfield-parent and SCEF• Chelsea McDaniel-UCSC• Alvaro Meza-Asst. Superintendent• Bill Philipps-SCCCE representative• Ana Maria Rebelo-SC County• Mary Simmons-City of Santa Cruz• Steve Trujillo-trustee• Kristin Van Kley-SC Museum of

Natural History• Megan Veach-Soquel student• Ken Wagman-trustee

Green Purchasing

Copy paper is 30% post consumer recycled

Toilet paper 100% recycled

Paper towel rolls 100% recycled

Certified green floor stripper (non-butyl)

Certified green glass cleaner

File storage boxes are 65% recycled material

Multi-fold towel 100% recycled

Facial tissue 100% recycled    

Toilet seat liners 100% recycled (40% post consumer use)

Converting Sunlight Into ElectricitySanta Cruz High School

Converting Sunlight into Electricity Soquel High School

Soquel High School

Financial Rewards of Going Green

• Overall, the District saved $154k from 2008-09 to 2009-10. Represents almost 12% reduction in utilities

• Solar panels generated about $90k to $100k worth of electricity

Boltage

• A system to encourage students to walk or bike to school safely

• Measures savings in greenhouse gases• In collaboration with Ecology Action, it was installed at

Gault in 2010 to allow students to track their own personal environmental impact and teachers to track the impact of a class and do lessons with the data

• In collaboration with Ecology Action, a grant was written to install it at DeLaveaga in 2011. It will also include a safety component, especially important with Highway 1 construction disrupting some regular routes

Curriculum for 2011-2012

• At Santa Cruz High School, the AP Environmental Studies course will debut and will cover many “green” topics

• Pending grant funding to cover expenses, 5th graders will once again have the opportunity to participate in the Green Schools Watershed Program. This state- recognized program includes teacher training, field trips to Loch Lomond reservoir, and water quality monitoring activities on the San Lorenzo River.

Future Projects

• Pending Board approval, the main project for 2011-2012 will be to get each district site certified as a Green School site

Much of the preliminary work has been already done in other years

SCCS would be the first district in the county to be green certified

• Going to green cleaning products district-wide• The student subcommittee will meet in May to plan for

projects that can be started early next school year