School district staff members attend Clean Energy and Indoor Air Quality Summit

School district staff from across the country attended the summit in Denver, Colorado, on June 11.

For school districts with limited resources, striving to achieve net zero energy, decarbonization, energy efficiency and improved indoor air quality (IAQ) can be challenging. On June 11, 40 school district staff members from 12 states gathered alongside industry experts in Denver, Colorado, for a summit focused on these intersecting goals.

The 1.5-day summit, cohosted by the Center for Green Schools, the U.S. Department of Energy's Efficient and Healthy Schools Program (EHSP) and the New Buildings Institute (NBI), also included a ceremony honoring this year's EHSP awardees. These honorees were recognized for their outstanding efforts in planning and implementing energy efficiency and IAQ improvements through building operations and retrofit projects.

During the summit, school district leaders shared success stories, challenges and other details about their journeys to develop district-wide climate action plans, prioritize and fund diverse facilities improvement needs, implement retrofit projects, and collect data to communicate their program's impact on advancing the goal of healthy and sustainable schools.

Engaging students and the community

LeeAnn Kittle, executive director of sustainability at Denver Public Schools, kicked off the summit by highlighting the power of student voices. She explained that students spearheaded the passage of her district's first climate action policy in 2022, which resulted in the publication of the district's climate action plan in 2023.

LeeAnn Kittle, executive director of sustainability at Denver Public Schools, spoke at the summit.

Portland Public Schools of Portland, Oregon, passed a climate crisis response, climate justice and sustainable practices policy in 2022 and is currently finalizing a district decarbonization plan. The Portland Public Schools senior program manager of energy and sustainability, Aaron Presberg, shared how important it has been for the district's policy to be rooted in environmental justice for community buy-in. However, Presberg said that conducting community engagement is not always easy: "There's not one catch-all way to do this kind of engagement. Make it clear up front what the scope of your plan is and be creative in your outreach-meet [community members] where they are."

Ghita Carroll, sustainability and energy officer at Boulder Valley School District in Boulder, Colorado, spoke on a panel about initiatives underway as part of the district's 2021-2026 sustainability action plan-the district's third such plan-including the establishment of a cross-sector Sustainability Advisory Committee to oversee the progress of the plan. This committee comprises district and school leaders, teachers, students and parents. Carroll emphasized that, above all, "Two groups you need to prioritize involving are maintenance staff and students."

Cadence Jackson, a high school student at Lansing Public Schools in Lansing, Michigan, led the district's winning EHSP submission. While participating on a panel, Jackson showcased the district's efforts and shared that she got involved "to advance the impact our district makes in helping to make green careers something that students are aware of." She further explained, "Getting people interested at a young age will benefit everyone, and students are more likely to listen to other students."

Resources for moving the needle

While balancing energy efficiency and improved IAQ is often seen as a challenge with conflicting strategies, summit attendees highlighted innovative opportunities to address both needs. Attendees showcased their work in assessing facilities to prioritize and plan for long-term improvements, implementing renewable energy systems, proactively collecting and managing IAQ and energy data, training staff, and engaging students.

Summit attendees discussed improving both energy efficiency and IAQ at schools.

Facilitators shared resources that are available to support school district staff with planning and communicating decarbonization and IAQ strategies. These resources included the Center for Green Schools' latest briefing, "Driving Toward Zero Carbon Emissions in School Buildings," and the center's School District Indoor Air Quality Management Plan Toolkit, as well as NBI's "Decarbonization Roadmap Guide for School Building Decision Makers."

Key takeaways from school leaders at the event were not to hesitate in getting started and to keep pushing the needle no matter where your district is on the journey to decarbonization. Students from Denver Public Schools summed up the way they felt while developing their climate action plan succinctly: "We don't need a tagline-just action."

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