Thursday, December 4, 2008

Turning education green


By Bennett Gavrish

When students walk through the doors of the new Newton North High School in 2010, they will recognize their familiar school colors of orange and black.

But the building’s designers want students to think of another color as they wander down the hallways and into classrooms – green.

The city’s new high school will be one of the first in the state to be certified as a green building by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, which rates buildings based on the sustainability of their design.

“Students will have a more healthy environment to work in, especially with respect to air quality, which we hope will make them more productive,” said Kurt Kusiak, a School Committee member.
The construction of the high school – which local officials estimate will cost about $200 million – has sparked a citywide effort to make more environmentally friendly buildings.

At the new school, classrooms will be equipped with light sensors that turn off the fluorescent lights when the rooms are empty.

“With light sensors in every classroom, the use of artificial light will be minimized,” said Jeremy Solomon, the spokesman for Mayor David Cohen. “The less artificial light we use, the less our electricity costs will be.”

Solomon said other environmental initiatives include low-flow automatic spigots in bathroom sinks to limit water waste and a 40,000 gallon underground tank that will save rain water to irrigate sports fields.

The green plan for the school is adding to the project’s cost, making it the most expensive high school ever built in the state. But city officials said they expect to recoup on the investment within 10 years.

“We estimate a $200,000 savings in the first year of operation,” Solomon said, “and with the trend of increasing energy costs, that figure will only grow over time.”

More schools in Massachusetts and around the country are starting to follow Newton’s lead, said representatives of the U.S. Green Building Council, which rates buildings based on their sustainability and impact on the environment.

“The green school movement is really taking off,” said Emily Knupp, who works in the council’s education sector. “We see one or two new projects registering for certification every day.”

Not everyone supports the green plan for the new high school.

Anatol Zukerman, a Newton architect, has criticized the building’s design and said it is not as environmentally friendly as the city claims.

“It’s an example of local politics trumping a truly sustainable design,” he said. “The new building has more skin exposed to the weather and needs to be heated and cooled by burning more oil and using more electricity.”

School officials remain confident that their design for the new Newton North is the best plan for the community.

“By saving money in the long run, we keep programs and teachers in the Newton Public School system that might otherwise be cut in difficult financial times,” Kusiak said.

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