Burbank Unified School District, CA Sustainable Design Standards

Type: Resolution

Status: Adopted on 3/4/04

Source File: http://www.chps.net/chps_schools/pdfs/burbank_ResolutiononSustainability.pdf

Text:

Burbank Unified School District Board of Education
Resolution on Sustainability and Resource Efficiency in the Design and Construction of District Projects

Whereas, students are entitled to a safe and healthy school environment, and studies have indicated that student achievement is greater and attendance higher when the learning environment is naturally lit, comfortable and well maintained; and

Whereas, schools should employ design and construction strategies that minimize operating costs, including energy and water efficiency; and

Whereas, schools that employ sustainable and resource-efficient design and construction strategies serve to teach by example the importance of protecting the environment and preserving natural resources; and

Whereas, the Burbank Unified School District is undertaking a facilities modernization, reconstruction and expansion program that upon completion will bring improvements to all of the District’s schools, and this program offers a unique opportunity to adopt and implement comprehensive sustainable and resource-efficient design and construction standards that can achieve long-term benefits including significant savings in operating costs, an improved setting that is more conducive to learning and teaching, greater student attendance and teacher retention, and reduced adverse impact on the environment; and

Whereas, the District already has implemented many sustainable and resource-efficient design and construction standards to achieve such benefits, and it is committed to continuing its progress in this area;

Therefore, Be It Resolved, that the Board of Education supports the continuing development and implementation of sustainable and resource-efficient design criteria for the construction, expansion and modernization of District facilities, and directs the Chief Facilities and Development Superintendent to continue development and implementation of such criteria, and to do so in accordance with the criteria established by the Collaborative for High Performance Schools (“CHPS”); and

Be It Further Resolved, that the Board of Education directs staff to ensure that every new construction and modernization project, from the beginning of the design process, incorporates CHPS criteria to the greatest extent feasible; and Be It Further Resolved, that the Board of Education directs staff, during the design phase of the remaining projects in the current construction and modernization program and all such future projects, to require architects to certify that their District project(s) have met or exceeded the minimum requirements for CHPS certification, and report the scores for all of the CHPS categories; and

Be It Further Resolved, that the Board of Education directs staff, during the design phase of the remaining projects in the current construction and modernization program and all such future projects, to provide to the Board with an analysis of the costs and benefits of additional design and construction measures that would result in sustainability and resource-efficiency that exceed the minimum requirements for CHPS certification; and

Be It Further Resolved, that the Board of Education directs staff to develop procedures for ensuring the implementation of the approved CHPS design criteria in all of the CHPS categories in all new construction and modernization projects, including a performance tracking mechanism to ensure the effective implementation of these criteria throughout the design process and construction; and

Be It Further Resolved, that the Board of Education directs staff, in completing the current construction and modernization program, and in all such future projects, to report to the Board on the implementation of the approved CHPS design criteria upon completion of each such project and before the final release of funds to the contractor for the project; and

Be It Further Resolved, that the Board of Education endorses District participation in, and directs staff to pursue, partnerships that further the goal of high performance schools, including Federal, State and local programs that may provide sustainable design financial incentives, specifically including, but not limited to: (i) The Los Angeles Sustainable Collaborative, whose goal is to further the adoption of sustainable design in the region and whose other members are agencies that have also adopted sustainable design requirements, including the City of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Community College District, and the City of Santa Monica; (ii) the County of Los Angeles Watershed Management Division, whose goal is to encourage the efficient use of water resources; and (iii) the Savings By Design program; and

Be It Further Resolved, that the Board of Education directs staff to report to the Board, within 120 days of the passage of this resolution, on the District’s compliance with this Resolution, and other information that would be useful to the Board in assessing the progress of this effort.