King County Green Schools Program honors Bellevue School District and its 26 schools

The district received a King County Level Two Green School certificate, and each school received recognition for completing either Level Two or Level Three of the County’s Green Schools Program. The awards were presented at the district’s June 7 school board meeting.

This spring, the district and 11 of the district’s schools completed Level Two of the King County Green Schools Program, which focuses on energy conservation.  Fifteen schools in the district completed Level Three, which focuses on water conservation.  Levels two and three also include maintaining and building upon Level One waste reduction and recycling practices.

“The district and the green teams at each school have established a culture of conservation throughout the Bellevue School District,” said Dale Alekel, program manager of the Green Schools Program.

The Bellevue School District and each of its 26 schools are engaged in reducing waste, recycling, and conserving natural resources. Students throughout the district are learning about conservation and are engaged in reducing waste, recycling, and reducing energy and water consumption.

The City of Bellevue provided recycling assistance, recycling containers, and recycling signs to each of the district’s 26 schools. In addition, the City provided tools related to water conservation to the fifteen schools that worked on Level Three during 2010-11.

“Bellevue School District has been so fortunate to have a partnership with the King County Green Schools Program and the City of Bellevue to implement our conservation programs,” said Nancy Larson, manager of Facilities, Information Technology and Maintenance at the Bellevue School District. “The resources that have been made available have been exceptional.”
 
The district has an energy conservation policy and restricts the use of supplemental or personal space heaters, refrigerators and other electrical equipment. The district tracks each school’s energy use and costs, and provides information to appropriate staff to follow regular maintenance procedures on its heating and ventilation equipment. Prior to long weekends, extended holidays and breaks, staff receive a shutdown reminder list from the district regarding turning off all equipment, shutting blinds and tightening faucets.

These and other district-wide energy conservation policies and practices qualified the district to receive recognition as a King County Level Two Green School District.

To learn more about district and school achievements, go to our web page at http://your.kingcounty.gov/solidwaste/greenschools/participants.asp.

The three-level King County Green Schools Program provides hands-on assistance, recycling containers and signs, website tools, and recognition for schools and districts that complete program levels. For more information, visit www.kingcounty.gov or contact Dale Alekel at dale.alekel@kingcounty.gov.

Related information

King County Green Schools

King County Solid Waste