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The High Performance School
 Why Build a High Performance School?
What is a High Performance School?
Building Blocks of a High Performance School
Resources for the High Performance School
What are schools coming to these days? How about schools that can increase student test scores, making the learning environment healthier, quieter and more comfortable? Or schools that can save up to 40% of their annual utility costs, allowing more money to be spent on books, salaries and teaching supplies?
What about schools that make a positive impact on the environment, using non-toxic, durable materials that are recycled?
Are these the schools of the future? No, these are today's new high performance schools, designed and built to be energy and resource efficient. They provide a healthy and productive environment for our students and teachers, without costing a penny more than conventional school buildings.
The Department of Energy estimates that schools nationwide spend more than $6 billion annually on energy costs. Add to that the costs of water, wastewater processing and trash collection, and the cost per student averages about $140. Consider that 6,000 new schools will be built nationwide by 2007 and imagine the opportunity this affords school districts - they can reduce that cost of $140 to $85 per student by building high performance schools.
According to the Collaborative for High Performance Schools www.CHPS.net, California educates 1 out of every 8 students in the United States with the state seeing enrollment rates four times higher than national averages. Hundreds of schools a year are being built to house over 125,000 new students moving into the system and to expand capacity for class-size reduction programs. The current building stock is aging and over 30% of existing facilities need a major renovation. At the same time, California schools are spending nearly $750 million on energy, more than the combined cost of supplies and books.
As a school superintendent, business official, board member, concerned parent or community member, you have the ability to help guide the facility development process, ensuring the next school built in your community is a high performance one. Vision, determination and knowledge are all you need.
Why Build a High Performance School?
All schools are investments in the future. Doesn't it make sense to invest in a building that will stand the test of time instead of continuing to produce the same, tired, ill-designed buildings simply because that's the way it's always been done? School districts have only one budget for a school - doesn't it make more sense to use that money on better facilities that improve learning while saving energy, resources and money?
There are other benefits as well:
- High performance schools have shown higher student test scores because a better physical facility - one with great acoustics, lighting, indoor air quality - delivers better student outcomes.
- High performance schools provide superior indoor air quality by controlling sources of contaminants and supplying proper ventilation, resulting in fewer student sick days and increased average daily attendance. Since a majority of a school's operating budget is directly dependent on average daily attendance, even a small increase can significantly boost the operating budget.
- High performance schools are specifically designed to reduce operating costs and to use less water and energy. They are easier to maintain. This means more money into the school's coffers for such important items as books and salaries.
- High performance schools are good environmental citizens: they reduce environmental impacts by being water and energy efficient and use durable, non-toxic, recycled materials.
- High performance schools are designed to be pleasant and effective places to work. As a result, they increase teacher satisfaction - an important factor in recruiting and retaining teachers in today's job market.
- High performance schools can be a community resource, with a high level of parent and community involvement. They offer buildings that demonstrate concepts about energy, water, efficiency, sustainability and the environment.
The Collaborative for High Performance Schools www.CHPS.net brings together stakeholders from utility, government and non-profit organizations. Each of these groups has its own set of needs and concerns when it comes to meeting the demand for new and improved school facilities, but they all agree on one thing - a high performance school is today's smart investment for the future.
What is a High Performance School?
The High Performance School Buildings Resource and Strategy Guide published by the Sustainable Building Industry Council, www.SBICouncil.org defines high performance schools as having three key characteristics:
- They are healthy and productive for students and teachers providing:
- They are cost effective and easy to operate and maintain, because their design employs:
- They are sustainable, because they integrate:
Creating a high performance school is not difficult; however, as with any sustainable building, it requires an integrated "whole" building approach. Although you do not have to be an expert in high performance building design, it is critical to choose architects and engineers who are. You must also identify and prioritize your goals early in the process and communicate them clearly to your design team.
The Guide lists the "building blocks" of a high performance school. It emphasizes that each of these blocks must be considered from the very start of the design process and optimized throughout, looking at the combined impact on the comfort and productivity of students and teachers. The result "will be a finished school that is an enduring asset to its community" - one that enhances teaching and learning, reduces operating costs, and protects the environment.
Building Blocks of a High Performance School
All school facilities combine systems to make a complete building, but not all buildings are high performance. None of the elements used to make the high performance school a better learning environment are rocket science. High performance schools design is a health and comfort issue, and all the features are common, simple elements that are integrated as a "whole building," and not as separate entities.
The High Performance School Buildings Resource and Strategy Guide lists the following as the key features or Building Blocks of a high performance school. Detailed information on why these elements are important, how it can be incorporated into a new school building, how it impacts other building components, and specific resources on each of the elements are presented in the Guide.
Resources for the High Performance School
Manuals and Guidebooks
- Best Practices Manual www.CHPS.net - By the Collaborative for High Performance Schools
Organizations and Information
- Sustainable Building Industry Council - www.SBICouncil.org
- American Institute of Architects - Committee on the Environment -- www.w-architect.com (under consruction).
- American Institute of Architects Los Angeles - www.aialosangeles.org
- American Institute of Architects Orange County - www.aiaoc.org
- Collaborative for High Performance Schools - www.CHPS.net
- Sustainable Building Industry Council - www.SBICouncil.org/workshops/schools.htm
- U.S. Green Building Council - www.usgbc.org
- Whole Building Design - www.wbdg.org
Assistance Programs for High Performance Schools
- Bright Schools Program (California Energy Commission) www.energy.ca.gov/efficiency/brightschools/
- Energy Smart School Program and the Rebuild America Program (Department of Energy) www.eren.doe.gov/buildings/rebuild
- Green Schools Program - www.ase.org/greenschools
- Los Angeles Department of Water and Power - www.ladwp.com
- Sacramento Municipal Utilities District - www.smud.com
- San Diego Gas and Electric - www.sdge.com
- Southern California Edison - www.sce.com
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