WHEREAS, Most students in the School District of Philadelphia spend their days in conventionally built and aging schools that are unhealthy and affect their ability to learn; and
WHEREAS, Conventional schools are designed typically to meet building code requirements which set minimum standards and are usually not designed to provide comfortable, healthy and productive environments for students and teachers
Much of the data contained in this Resolution has been derived from a study entitled, “Greening America’s Schools Costs and Benefits,” by Gregory Kats and from “LEED for Schools Hawaii Build and Buy Green Conference and Expo, May 9, 2007,” by Katrina Shum Miller.
; and
WHEREAS, Studies have found a link between improved student and teacher health and productivity and green building performance standards. For example, improved ventilation and indoor air quality reduce the incidence of asthma and of a number of other respiratory illnesses, including the common cold and influenza and as a result, reduce absenteeism among students and teachers; and
WHEREAS, Green school designs are based on the United States Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards for schools which emphasize classroom acoustics, master planning, indoor air quality, mold prevention, energy efficiency, and water conservation; and
WHEREAS, LEED certified green buildings use 30% to 50% less energy and 40% less water and reduce carbon monoxide emissions by 38%; and
WHEREAS, To date, there are approximately 40 LEED certified schools in 19 states and over 300 schools registered for LEED certification; and
WHEREAS, Some states provide financial incentives for school districts that achieve LEED certification, among them Pennsylvania, which through the enactment of House Bill 628 in 2005, provides financial incentives for school districts that achieve silver, gold or platinum LEED certification; and
WHEREAS, The School District of Philadelphia has achieved LEED certification for the Microsoft School of the Future, the George Washington Carver School of Engineering and Science and the Barry School; and
WHEREAS, It is important for the health and safety of our students and for their educational achievement that the School District strive to achieve LEED certification for all school construction and renovations; now therefore
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That Council hereby authorizes the Committee on Education and the Committee on the Environment to hold joint public hearings to investigate the steps the School District of Philadelphia is currently taking regarding the use of green technologies in the construction and renovation of school buildings and to explore the feasibility of using such technologies in all future school construction and renovations.
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