House Resolution 26 - Introduced HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 26 BY KELLEY A Resolution in support of green schools. 1 WHEREAS, economic growth in the twenty-first century 2 will be enhanced by establishing policies that promote 3 the potential of our buildings and our children to 4 achieve a healthier, safer, more efficient, resilient, 5 and prosperous future; and 6 WHEREAS, deteriorating school infrastructure and 7 poor indoor environmental quality threaten the health, 8 well-being, and achievement of staff and students; and 9 WHEREAS, healthy, high-performance schools, or 10 “green schools”, create an indoor environment that is 11 conducive to learning while saving energy, resources, 12 and money; and 13 WHEREAS, children in green schools are healthier 14 and more productive because green schools incorporate 15 natural day lighting, thermal comfort, and classroom 16 design, all of which have been shown to improve 17 children’s well-being and ability to learn; and 18 WHEREAS, the benefits of superior indoor air 19 quality have been linked to lower asthma rates, fewer 20 allergies, reduced absenteeism, and increased teacher 21 retention rates; and 22 WHEREAS, green schools use an average of 30 to 23 50 percent less energy compared to conventional 24 schools; and 25 WHEREAS, programs such as the leadership in energy 26 and environmental design green building rating system 27 can optimize building performance, resolve operational 28 -1- LSB 2334YH (3) 85 rn/nh 1/ 2
H.R. 26 inefficiencies, and dramatically reduce utility 1 costs in new school construction and existing school 2 renovation; and 3 WHEREAS, green schools provide an educational 4 experience that transcends the classroom by creating 5 a host of opportunities for curriculum innovation and 6 hands-on project-based learning in which the building 7 itself becomes an interactive teaching tool; and 8 WHEREAS, green school construction and renovation 9 projects are readily able to be completed at no 10 higher cost than conventional school construction and 11 renovation; and 12 WHEREAS, existing schools can become greener 13 through low-cost or no-cost operations and maintenance 14 improvements, such as implementing water efficiency 15 measures, green cleaning programs, smarter purchasing 16 practices, recycling and waste reduction initiatives, 17 and energy management plans that can save a school 18 district millions of dollars a year in direct operating 19 expenses; and 20 WHEREAS, the benefits of green schools transcend 21 political boundaries; NOW THEREFORE, 22 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, That 23 the House of Representatives supports the establishment 24 of policies that promote green schools and establishes 25 a goal of every child being provided an opportunity 26 to attend green primary and secondary schools in this 27 state. 28 -2- LSB 2334YH (3) 85 rn/nh 2/ 2