Driven by high energy consumption and rising bills, Miami-Dade County will open a new public high school in Kendall for the 2009-2010 school year.
Proposed as a forerunner for future schools in the county, the school will be completely green, from its eco-friendly design to its magnet curriculum on environmental studies. It is expected to become the first school in Dade County certified by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) System, a branch of the U.S. Green Building Council, which oversees green buildings.
The main goal of the green school is to use energy efficiently and thus cut back on costs. Whereas the typical Dade County high school spends $20,000 a month on electricity alone, the new school will significantly reduce that figure. Victor Alonso, a representative of the school system, commented on the energy savings in a recent interview with NBC6 News.
“We know percentage-wise that it’s going to decrease somewhere probably between 30 to 40 percent overall the total cost. We’re going to save close to 20 percent of that, which will end up being at least $50,000 a year, year after year,” Alonso said.
Structurally, the school will have several differences from it non-green counterparts. Natural light will shine into classrooms and hallways to cut down on light usage. The louvered windows will help shade buildings from the sun while still letting in some light. Also, motion sensors will be in place so classroom lights progressively dim or brighten in accordance with the amount of sunlight reaching the rooms.
Nikki Rigl, a junior and member of Palmetto’s “Green Team, is pleased with the example that the school will set.
“I think the green school will promote environmental ideals that our community needs to focus on. It could be beneficial to Palmetto and other Dade County schools if we pay attention and adapt some of the strategies that the green schools uses,” Rigl said.
AP Environmental Science teacher Pam Shlachtman, however, does not feel that Palmetto can benefit from the green school’s example.
“We cannot learn from the green school because that school is designed specifically to save energy and do other environmentally-friendly things,” Shlachtman said. “One thing we can do here is to start with things like turning off the lights or opening windows. If every teacher turned off their lights for their 20 minute lunch periods, we could save $200 a month, not to mention energy reductions and C02 emissions.”
The green school also provides a magnet program full of opportunities for the budding environmentalist. These areas of study will be categorized in three academies: Environmental Research and Field Studies, Biomedical Research and Engineering Technology and Robotics. Each academy is designed to relate back to the environment. For example, the Biomedical Research Academy will examine health issues and how they are impacted by environmental changes. The Environmental Research and Field Studies Academy will search for solutions to the environmental problems in our communities.
Shlachtman however has doubts if the green school’s new magnet program can rival the Advanced Placement science classes offered at Palmetto.
“It’s just another magnet school going up. Coral Reef has an environmental magnet, and there are other magnets that are available. Last year, Palmetto was the only school in Florida to be recognized for outstanding math and science programs, and there are no magnets here. Our physics program and other AP programs have taken off [in recent years],” Shlachtman said.
Healy, however, is intrigued by the options that the new school presents, although she is an upperclassmen, and the school will first be open for ninth and tenth graders.
“If I were a ninth or tenth grader, I would definitely be interested in attending the green school because it would be a unique opportunity to study about issues that are in the forefront of today’s society,” Healy said.
Even though spots are filled for next school year, students interested in attending the new green school can apply for the 2010-2011 year.