Richland schools receive special conservation designation

Two of the Richland School District's newest schools have been recognize by the State Superintendent's Office as High Performance Sustainable Schools. Lewis & Clark Elementary and Sacajawea Elementary both qualify as meeting the state's high performance design requirements.

“The Richland School District has met the challenge of designing schools that support environmental leadership,” states Randy Newman of the State Superintendent’s Office in Olympia. “Lewis & Clark and Sacajawea are delivering superior energy performance, reducing water use, and providing excellent indoor learning environments.”

The school district razed the old buildings, and constructed brand new structures for Lewis & Clark and Sacajawea Elementary Schools as part of a $98 million bond issue approved by Richland School District voters in 2013. Both schools opened in August 2015, each with a capacity of about 630 students.

In order to qualify for the High Performance Schools certification, school districts must first choose a state-approved, green building standard for design and construction. Any school building project that's paid for with state dollars needs to be designed and built using the LEED silver standard or Washington Sustainable School Protocol.

Touchet Secondary in the Touchet School District was also designated as a High Performance Sustainable School this quarter.