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greenBVSD

BVSD is celebrating 10 years of focused work on sustainability!

BVSD has been working hard deepening sustainability practices in the District for the past 10 years!! Last spring, we released a report highlighting some of these accomplishments.

Read the report

Vision

All together, for all students and the planet.

Mission

As a leader in whole district sustainability, BVSD creates healthy learning environments and experiences that equip all students and staff with the knowledge and skills to create more equitable and sustainable communities.

New Sustainability Advisory Committee

Learn more

Highlights of Our Progress

In the original SMS, we established the stretch goal to reduce GHG emissions by 80 percent and become climate neutral by 2050. In the last 5 years, the District substantially reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 13% from the baseline year primarily through reductions in electricity, natural gas, and transportation.

BVSD was named the first REAL Certified school district in the country. This award is presented to restaurants and food service providers that are committed to promoting health and sustainability.

Every school had an active green team within the past 5 years supporting activities like gardens, recycling programs, energy competitions and more.

We continue to reduce energy in light of expanding buildings and air conditioning. Energy reductions are thanks in large part to the energy improvements we were able to make during the Bond and Construction program.

The District hit an impressive target of 50% waste diversion, which means diverting half of our waste from the landfill through repurposing, recycling, and composting in our daily operations and through our Eco-Cycle programs, and our Bond and Construction program.

We are also thrilled to announce the release of our new greenBVSD Action Plan!

This plan sets the course for sustainability work in the District for the next 5 years. The plan was created in partnership with the Green Schools National Network (GSNN). This work has taken place over the past year and has included many staff interviews and a community forum in March, followed by several focus groups, review and feedback from an Ad Hoc Advisory Committee, several opportunities for community comment and final review over the summer by District leaders. The plan was presented to the Board Sept. 14, 2021.

This new plan looks different! The last plan was focused primarily in operations (waste, energy, materials, buildings and transportation and education). The new plan covers four strategic priority areas:

Curriculum and Instruction -- looking at experiences, knowledge and skills, and also values, behaviors and mindsets,
Climate and Culture -- including relationships, health and equity,
Leadership -- including decision-making, structures, procurement, finance, HR and learning systems, and
Operations

Each of the strategic priority areas has an overarching goal and 3-5 supporting goals. Each area also includes indicators and measures staff will use to assess progress. Key staff in each of these areas have been involved in setting the new goals.

With this plan, we are excited to deepen our practice, gather more robust data, and understand more fully the impact on faculty, staff and students as the District continues the journey of transforming into a healthy, equitable, and sustainable school district where all faculty, staff, and students are engaged and prepared to lead us into a sustainable future.

Read the new Action Plan

Check out these video updates for more information!

Sustainability Coordinator Dr. Ghita Carroll and BVSD Energy Manager Jeff Medwetz present BVSD's progress on sustainability goals to the Board of Education, April 27, 2021.

Dr. Carroll presents the new action plan to the Board of Education, September 14, 2021.

Dr. Carroll and community partners discuss the new Sustainability Action Plan on Let's Talk.

Resources

Sustainability Management System

In January 2010, the Board of Education passed BVSD Board Policy ECF, one of the fi rst K-12 school
districts in the nation to acknowledge the importance of preparing students to co-create a
sustainable future. This policy also required the Superintendent to “monitor, evaluate, and report
on the district’s progress toward environmental sustainability, including the cost effectiveness of
relevant programs.” Since 2010, BVSD has reviewed the SMS every fi ve years and set new goals for
the subsequent five years.

The 2021 - 2026 SMS Action Plan is the third in a series of SMS plans that has charted the course for BVSD to integrate best practices across the entire school system related to healthy, equitable, and sustainable schools.

Learn more about the SMS

Outdoor Learning

Energy Efficiency

Addressing district energy consumption is a key component of the District’s sustainability planning.
Energy used for electricity and heating and cooling needs has significant impact on the district’s
environmental footprint and budget. BVSD is striving toward net zero energy buildings with specific energy goals to take the district there.

Learn more about BVSD's energy efficiency work and Sustainable Energy Plan.

Alternative Transportation

Tools and Partners for Greening Your School

Green Buildings

Zero Waste and Green Star Schools

Policies

Board of Education Environmental Sustainability Policy

In January 2010, the Boulder Valley Board of Education passed a policy in support of sustainability efforts and the Sustainability Management System.

Read the policy

Sustainability Resolution

In May 2009, BVSD adopted a resolution supporting environmental sustainability, jointly created with City of Boulder, University of Colorado at Boulder and Boulder County.

These four organizations are committing to prioritize collaborative efforts in the following areas:

Creation of a workforce available for green jobs through career and technical education training, and teaching and internship opportunities;
Greenhouse gas emissions reductions and climate change adaptation planning, including unified carbon tracking and reporting;
Identification of large-scale renewable energy opportunities;
Pursuance of initiatives in furtherance of zero waste goals; and
Exploration of joint funding opportunities to further implementation of all of the above.

Elementary School

Middle School

High School

Nontraditional School

Charter School

Contact Us

Ghita Carroll