The following excerpt is taken from Jody Andres' article, "Green Gains", that originally appeared in the December 2019 issue of American School & University. Excerpt posted with permission.
When schools have a consistent mindset of going green, the beneficiaries are students, teachers, faculty, and the community. The paybacks of designing and building a green facility, as well as ongoing and daily practices of sustainability, reap rewards in health, environmental impact, and the bottom line. Although myths about the costs of sustainability still prevail, the reality is that a school or university can build a highly sustainable facility at a cost less than projects that are not environmentally responsive.
LOWER CONSTRUCTION COSTS
Northland Pines High School (NPHS) in Eagle River, Wis., is an example of how a green building can provide cost and facility savings. The school was completed in 2006 as the first public high school in the United States to be certified LEED Gold. The 250,000-square-foot building was completed at $116 per square foot (including all costs except land). The average regional construction cost at that time was $154 per square foot.
Read the entire article, "Green Gains", here.