Green Schools Programs in the St. Louis Region
- Published on Tuesday June 27th, 2023
A great way to get your local school on the road to sustainability is by joining over 200 schools across the St. Louis region and participating in a Green Schools program! Did you know that making your school greener can promote mental, behavioral, and physical health, and also open up new career opportunities for your students? Find more information about examples of great work at local schools below.
Get Involved: In the St. Louis region, Missouri Gateway Green Building Council and Missouri Environmental Education Association co-manage Show-Me Green Schools - a suite of three programs that provide structure, resources and recognition to support preK-12 schools in becoming a green school - no matter their starting place. Schools in the Metro East are welcome to participate in the Show-Me Green Schools programs. In addition, schools located in Madison County, IL can find information about their local Green Schools program here.
You can find all past participants in the Show-Me Green Schools programs here.
Vegetable Gardens
Seed St. Louis supports over 80 school and youth gardens in the St. Louis region. Educational curriculums, as well as resource to start, join, or expand a garden and more are available from Seed St. Louis. Flance Early Learning Center has been recognized by Missouri Green Schools for their community garden, which provided over 25 tons of free fresh produce, valued at over $180,000, to Flance families and their 63106 community (one of the poorest zip codes in Missouri and a food desert) in 2020. Imagine the impact that over 80 school gardens in the St. Louis region have together!
Composting
W. W. Keysor Elementary in Kirkwood, MO, reduced waste from their cafeteria by 85% in 2012 by introducing compostable trays and separating out materials for recycling and compost. Many other schools in the St. Louis region divert waste by composting, including Nerinx Hall, Crossroads College Prep, McKelvey Elementary, Maplewood Richmond Heights Middle School, Christ Prince of Peace, St. Teresa’s Academy, various schools in the Parkway School District, Pershing Elementary, Holy Redeemer, Pattonville High School, Tillman Elementary, Sunrise R-9 School, Brentwood Middle School, and Rockwood South Middle School.
Trees & Native Plants
Outdoor learning can be beneficial for student mental health and academic performance. Green Trails Elementary established a native pollinator garden, and when they doubled their recess time outside, they experienced an overall decrease in office referrals by almost 19%. At W. W. Keysor Elementary, native plantings that cover half of their campus greenspace have resulted in a recorded increase in animal and insect species. Other schools that have native gardens include The College School, St. Louis University High School, Raintree School, Herculaneum High School, Southern Boone Elementary, Ladue Horton Watkins High School, Brentwood Middle School, St. Paul’s Lutheran ECC, Crossroads College Prep, and Nerinx Hall High School.
Youth / Workforce Development
In the 2023-2024 school year, students at Arcadia Valley High School, a Missouri Green Schools participant and a rural school, learned about sustainability and associated careers through a green newsletter and speaker series. Other schools that offer programs for green workforce development include Fern Ridge High School, Brentwood Middle School, Pattonville High School, Principia School, Old Bonhomme Elementary, Crestwood Elementary, and Rockwood South Middle School.
No-Idling Policies
Sunrise R-IX School in De Soto, MO, has streamlined their pickup process to reduce idle time for cars by 50%, and for buses by 40%. This not only results in improved air quality for students (whose lungs are still developing), but also reduced costs from fuel savings. Other schools that have no-idling policies include W. W. Keysor and Principia.
LED Lightbulbs & Daylighting
MICDS saw a savings of more than $50,000 on their electrical bill due to their efficient lighting initiative. Ameren Missouri offers incentives for schools to switch to LED lighting, as well as other energy efficient upgrades. Ameren reported that the Parkway School District has benefited from more than $1.6 million in incentives, and Hazelwood School District used incentives for upgrades that save them over a half million dollars in energy each year. Other schools that have made the switch to more efficient lighting include McKelvey Elementary, Maplewood Richmond Heights Middle School, St. Louis University High School, Herculaneum High School, Sunrise R-IX School,Principia, School District of University City, St. Francis of Assissi, Althoff Catholic High School, Nerinx Hall High School, and the St. Michael School of Clayton.
Efficient Buildings
Parkway School District implemented energy efficiency improvements to lighting, HVAC systems, kitchen equipment, and the building envelope that allowed the district to reduce energy consumption by 25% from a 2015 baseline and save $2.2 million in energy costs between 2015 and 2020. Many of the high efficiency upgrades, such as lighting, air conditioning (HVAC) units, and building controls were able to be purchased through utility incentive programs. Other examples of energy efficient school buildings include MICDS, Crossroads College Prep, McKelvey Elementary, St. Louis University High School, Green Trails Elementary, School District of University City, and Lindbergh School District.
Renewable Energy
Installing renewable energy has major benefits for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and the associated impacts of climate change. It can also result in cost savings for schools. Herculaneum High School received a grant from Doe Run to install a 75 kW solar array in 2013, as well as a high efficiency HVAC system for the school gym. Cost savings from the project were over $40,000 per year. Schools nationwide can benefit from clean energy tax credits that can result in a discount of 30% or more off the cost of renewable energy projects. Schools located in Illinois and in qualified environmental justice communities or income-eligible communities can also benefit from the Illinois Solar for All program. This program allows non-profits and public facilities to install on-site solar projects or participate in a community solar program with no or low upfront costs and guaranteed savings.
Other examples of schools with onsite renewable energy production include MICDS, The College School, Crossroads College Prep, McKelvey Elementary, Maplewood Richmond Heights Middle School, St. Louis University High School, Green Trails Elementary, Raintree School, Highcroft Ridge Elementary, Principia, and School District of University City. All together, these renewable energy systems make up 101,049 kW of renewable energy production and divert a total of 148,040 tons of CO2 per year (according to the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Avoided Emissions and generation Tool - AVERT). In addition to CO2, these systems collectively divert 190,830 lbs of the harmful air pollutant family nitrogen oxides; 203,790 lbs of the air pollutant SO2; and 16,600 lbs of particulate matter 2.5 per year.
