With more than a decade of data on sustainability documented at pilot projects around the state, Texas school districts are buying into the promise of green building for K-12 facilities in a big way. Many independent school districts have pursued their first green projects in recent years, while early adopters are pushing for even higher performance standards on upcoming projects. Despite an environment of strained budgets, many observers note that school districts are looking beyond the initial costs of green building in order to reap the long-term rewards.
Gail Vittori, co-director of the Center for Maximum Potential Building Systems in Austin, says that based on the experiences of pilot projects, school administrators are gravitating toward the positive lifecycle benefits of sustainability.