Los Angeles USD Implements Green School Construction Program, Will Create 145 Eco-Friendly Buildings
Many of the 13,000 buildings in the second-largest school district in the United States, Los Angeles Unified School District, are in disrepair.
Most of them, built more than a half century ago, have had little or no renovation.
LAUSD's $20 billion school construction program - scheduled to build 145 schools by 2012 - is designed to provide a neighborhood school for every student, eliminate involuntary busing and create small learning communities in secondary schools.
The program came to life in 1997, when voters allocated $2.
4 billion for modernization of facilities and addition of classroom space.
New bond measures were passed in 1998 ($4 billion), 2002 ($3.
5 billion from the city and a portion of a $13.
05 billion statewide bond), 2004 ($9.
2 billion) and 2005 ($3.
99 billion).
Adding to that, California voters passed in November 2006 a statewide K-12 and university facilities bond act that provides an additional $10.
41 billion, which includes $100 million for high performance (green) school construction statewide.
To date, LAUSD has completed 67 new schools and 53 additions, returning 136 schools to a 180-day, full-year calendar and providing more than 68,000 new classroom seats for students throughout the district.
In the midst of this building boom LAUSD decided that all its new schools must be high performance schools.
The LAUSD Board of Education recognized these advantages in its October 2003 High Performance Schools Resolution.
The resolution directs staff to "continue its effort to ensure that every district new school and modernization project, from the beginning of the design process, incorporate high performance school criteria to the extent feasible.
" The 2007 LAUSD School Design Guide dictates that all new school construction and renovation of existing buildings "must assertively address long-term concerns for environmental impacts and energy conservation.
LAUSD is committed to sustainable or 'high performance' design in all of its schools.
A well-designed high performance school enhances student and teacher performance, reduces operating costs, and protects the environment.
" High performance schools have the following characteristics:
Students learn best in an environment that is comfortable, healthy, naturally lit and well maintained.
Studies have indicated that student achievement is greater and attendance higher when these conditions are met.
An integrated design approach can often take advantage of energy savings that become feasible when the interaction between separate building elements, such as windows, lighting and mechanical systems are considered.
Building or renovating a school provides a unique opportunity to move beyond standard designs to create school facilities whose benefits have been measured in the form of increased student attendance, higher test scores, reduced operating costs, elevated teacher and staff retention, and an improved indoor environment by providing cleaner air, better acoustics and natural light.
LAUSD is just one example of schools and districts across the nation that are turning to high performance design and construction elements to increase student performance and save on energy costs.
The district's high performance mandates can serve as models for schools throughout the United States to go green and save "green" in return.
Most of them, built more than a half century ago, have had little or no renovation.
LAUSD's $20 billion school construction program - scheduled to build 145 schools by 2012 - is designed to provide a neighborhood school for every student, eliminate involuntary busing and create small learning communities in secondary schools.
The program came to life in 1997, when voters allocated $2.
4 billion for modernization of facilities and addition of classroom space.
New bond measures were passed in 1998 ($4 billion), 2002 ($3.
5 billion from the city and a portion of a $13.
05 billion statewide bond), 2004 ($9.
2 billion) and 2005 ($3.
99 billion).
Adding to that, California voters passed in November 2006 a statewide K-12 and university facilities bond act that provides an additional $10.
41 billion, which includes $100 million for high performance (green) school construction statewide.
To date, LAUSD has completed 67 new schools and 53 additions, returning 136 schools to a 180-day, full-year calendar and providing more than 68,000 new classroom seats for students throughout the district.
In the midst of this building boom LAUSD decided that all its new schools must be high performance schools.
The LAUSD Board of Education recognized these advantages in its October 2003 High Performance Schools Resolution.
The resolution directs staff to "continue its effort to ensure that every district new school and modernization project, from the beginning of the design process, incorporate high performance school criteria to the extent feasible.
" The 2007 LAUSD School Design Guide dictates that all new school construction and renovation of existing buildings "must assertively address long-term concerns for environmental impacts and energy conservation.
LAUSD is committed to sustainable or 'high performance' design in all of its schools.
A well-designed high performance school enhances student and teacher performance, reduces operating costs, and protects the environment.
" High performance schools have the following characteristics:
- Optimal Lighting and Daylighting: Daylight and electric light should be integrated and glare eliminated.
Lighting should be "designed," not simply specified. - Healthy Indoor Environment: The key factors are proper ventilation using outside and filtered air and low-emitting materials such as flooring, ceiling tiles and paint.
- Energy Efficiency: Space conditioning systems should use high efficiency equipment, be "right sized" for the estimated demand and include controls that boost system performance.
Lighting systems should use high efficiency lamps and ballasts, optimize the number of light fixtures, incorporate controls that ensure peak system performance, and successfully integrate electric lighting and daylighting.
Building shells must integrate and optimize insulation, glazing, shading, thermal mass, air leakage and light-colored exterior surfaces. - Water Efficiency: Reducing indoor and landscaping water use minimizes the use of this scarce resource and saves money.
Indoor strategies include water efficient toilets, faucets, shower heads and appliances.
Landscaping strategies include drought tolerant plants and water efficient irrigation systems. - Storm Water Management: Minimizing and cleaning storm water runoff can further reduce water demand and help clean the Pacific Ocean.
- Environmental Materials: Schools should incorporate materials and products that are durable, nontoxic, grown sustainably, have a high-recycled content, and can easily be recycled.
- Waste Management: Schools should be designed with appropriate spaces for the storage and collection of recyclables.
Construction and demolition waste should be recycled to the maximum extent feasible. Source: 2007 LAUSD School Design Guide
Students learn best in an environment that is comfortable, healthy, naturally lit and well maintained.
Studies have indicated that student achievement is greater and attendance higher when these conditions are met.
An integrated design approach can often take advantage of energy savings that become feasible when the interaction between separate building elements, such as windows, lighting and mechanical systems are considered.
Building or renovating a school provides a unique opportunity to move beyond standard designs to create school facilities whose benefits have been measured in the form of increased student attendance, higher test scores, reduced operating costs, elevated teacher and staff retention, and an improved indoor environment by providing cleaner air, better acoustics and natural light.
LAUSD is just one example of schools and districts across the nation that are turning to high performance design and construction elements to increase student performance and save on energy costs.
The district's high performance mandates can serve as models for schools throughout the United States to go green and save "green" in return.
