Ohio boasts more LEED-certified public schools than any other state, with 100 since December and hundreds more currently in the certification process.
Since 2007, the Ohio School Facilities Commission (OSFC) has required the design of each school building it funds to at least seek LEED Silver certification, with the goal of achieving Gold. Of the 100 certifications, 44 schools have exceeded LEED Silver, earning LEED Gold or Platinum. Notable LEED-certified schools in Ohio include London Middle School of the London City School District, which was the first LEED Platinum school in the state and features a 40% reduction in water usage and 42% energy savings.
Sustainable educational facilities are in demand throughout the United States. A recently released independent national survey from the Center for Green Schools at USGBC and United Technologies Corp. revealed that three out of four Americans are supportive of green schools and 90% of Americans think it is important to improve public school buildings.
According to USGBC, the use of LEED has had a positive economic impact on Ohio and surrounding states. All OSFC projects using LEED encourage the use of products and materials that are harvested, manufactured, and/or produced within a 500-mile radius of the project, supporting nearby economies. On average, nearly 35% of building materials for these schools was procured from regional sources, and 22% of the schools’ building materials contain recycled content. The 100 schools have also diverted more than 188,114 tons and 57,565 cubic yards of construction waste from Ohio landfills.
