Green School Designs Struggle For Acceptance

"'Green schools' are part of a growing movement that is changing the environments in which students learn-and has parents clamoring to get their children on waiting lists. This is the business of sustainable school design; building high-performance facilities that are both better for the planet and for the children who learn in them."

"Green schools create a healthy atmosphere for learning that has measurable results. The combination of natural light, fresh air, open plans, and multi-use facilities that encourage community involvement has helped student test scores rise by 20 percent and reduced asthma rates by 39 percent. In green schools, teacher retention increases and missed school days decrease. The bottom line is that beyond their sustainability, green schools are simply better learning environments: Students and teachers are happier and get a lot more done in the classroom."

"'Still, the green-school movement faces some formidable obstacles. 'The irony here is that the greatest barrier is education,' says Bob Kobet, a sustainable-architecture consultant. 'There is still the misconception that green buildings cost more, that they are too complicated and take too long to build.'"