The Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is honored to participate in the White House's first-of-its-kind Summit for Sustainable and Healthy K-12 School Buildings and Grounds, spotlighting the importance of sustainable, healthy, resilient, and equitable learning environments for all students and educators.

Today's event demonstrates unprecedented federal support and recognition from the Biden Administration about the importance of high-quality buildings and grounds to student health and learning.

The condition of public school facilities is not just an issue of physical structures but a matter of health, educational performance, and environmental equity for families and communities nationwide. Yet far too many students attend schools with inadequate facilities due to underfunding for essential maintenance and capital improvements. Research consistently shows that school facilities significantly influence student learning outcomes, as well as the health of both students and staff.

For more than a decade, USGBC and the Center for Green Schools have been strong partners to the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the U.S. Department of Education in providing public school districts and district leaders with the knowledge and tools needed to improve the school infrastructure. These partnerships have strengthened during the last three years as additional funding has been made available for school infrastructure, including through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

We urge the Administration to consider basic steps to increase expertise and leadership at the U.S. Department of Education related to school buildings and grounds. This expanded capacity is necessary to advocate for resources, coordinate among agencies, and direct the important and nascent programs that are aiming to advance state and district knowledge on the topic.

The federal government has a unique opportunity to address these challenges and provide much-needed support to schools by establishing an office of school infrastructure and sustainability at the U.S. Department of Education, as called for in the Green Ribbon Act, a bill introduced in Congress last year. This critical legislation aims to strengthen and expand the Green Ribbon Schools program, which rewards schools for excellence in environmental impact, health impact, and environmental and sustainability literacy. The legislation would dedicate resources to enhancing state engagement, providing additional capacity, and extending the program to non-formal learning environments. The proposed expansion of the program would be best operated out of a dedicated office, which would provide the direction, expertise, and internal advocacy needed to make it successful; the establishment of such an office does not need Congressional action but could be done by executive leadership.

"We call for federal, state, and local stakeholders - from legislators to superintendents to community leaders and investors - to urge substantive and foundational leadership on the topic of school buildings and grounds within the federal government," said Anisa Heming, director of the Center for Green Schools. "Together, let's champion healthier, more sustainable learning environments and ensure every student has access to the quality education they deserve."

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