Perhaps in an attempt to prepare students for an eco-college experience, many elementary, middle, and high schools are getting in on the green-building trend. Sixty schools across the U.S. have been certified by the U.S. Green Building Council, and 360 more are waiting to have applications approved; in 2000, only four schools applied for certification. The new generation of educational edifices boasts features such as waterless urinals, motion-sensing light systems, rooftop gardens, and sunshine-streaming skylights that discourage naps in class. Students at the new green-built T.C. Williams High in Alexandria, Va., say they’re hesitant to doodle on desks or deface other school property that was built to be sustainable and long-lasting. And according to USGBC’s Rachel Gutter, green schools can increase test scores, retain teachers, and save districts up to $100,000 a year in energy, water, and health-care costs. Lesson learned.
