Dive Brief:
- Hampton Bays Middle School, on Long Island, opened in 2008 with certifications from LEED and the Collaborative for High Performance Schools, along with a commitment to being a bridge within the community.
- District Administration Reports the school has a community garden and invites area residents to use the gym, library, media center, cafeteria and auditorium spaces for town hall meetings, adult classes and other events.
- Security features protect students from any visitors, and the community’s sense of ownership of the school has contributed to a jump in the approval rate of school budgets from the early 2000s, when about 50% of voters approved, to most recently, when the budget got 76% approval.
Dive Insight:
According to District Administration, Hampton Bays Middle School also serves as a “living museum” school. It has plaques explaining elements of local ecology and the way its energy-saving technology works. On many college campuses, green building is considered the only way to approach new construction. There is so much pressure from students to do so, and the return on investment includes opportunities for student learning as well as marketing.
On the K-12 side, a focus on energy efficiency in new buildings has also helped districts recoup millions of dollars because of lower energy costs and centralized controls of heating and cooling, lighting, and security. Educators are also paying attention to research that shows green buildings, with a good deal of natural light, can actually help students learn.