Leon County Schools' move to sustainability is saving you money

• At DeSoto Trail Elementry, they're looking for a more sustainable way to approach food and other parts of the school day.
• Leon County Schools has started to take the first steps to commit to turning more schools in our neighborhoods into eco-schools.
• The organized push for sustainable schools in the district all started with the League of Women Voters Tallahassee at a Leon County School Board meeting.

BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:

Serving breakfasts and lunches to students every day could cost one school thousands.

At DeSoto Trail Elementry, they're looking for a more sustainable way to approach food and other parts of the school day.

Every day—pounds of uneaten, picked over, or half-eaten food goes to waste at schools in our neighborhoods.

At DeSoto Trail Elementary School more than 500 students come through this line for food and not every meal is a hit for picky eaters.

"Students will have more of a variety of foods to choose from that they actually like," Michele Keltner DeSoto Trail Elementary School's Principal said.

Waste reduction is all part of the school's goal to becoming an eco-school.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection recognizes schools that commit to conserve and protect Florida’s natural resources through the Green School Designation Program.

The plan is to get the designation by the end of the school year.

According to a site that tracks eco-schools in the state, DeSoto would be the first in North Florida to achieve
the designation.

"I felt the challenge and the charge to be one of the leaders in becoming an eco-school," Keltner said. "So I've reached out to my colleagues and friends all around the county, and they're jumping on board and just trying to do our very best to bring more sustainability and stress strategies into our schools."

Leon County Schools has started to take the first steps to commit to turning more schools in our neighborhoods into eco-schools.

It has both environmental positives and curriculum incentives.

"The students are learning about resiliency and citizenship," David Schubert, DeSoto Trail Technology Specialist and School Sustainability Group Member. "They have been participating in activities where they go around the campus, look for areas that we can improve or make more sustainable."

The organized push for sustainable schools in the district all started with the League of Women Voters Tallahassee at a Leon County School Board meeting.

"I was with a person to be heard and made a presentation about what we would like to accomplish and how we'd like to help," Joel Dawson, a Retired LCS Teacher and LWVT member said.

Dawson is a community member of the Leon County Sustainability Committee. It includes LCS staff, students, community members, and experts on sustainability.

"Climate change is the major reason why people need to be figuring out better ways to accomplish what we want to accomplish without using so much energy," Dawson said.

Leon County Schools' latest budget shows materials and supplies for school Nutrition cost about $8.2 million.

The district is looking at other sustainability efforts like reducing energy and getting electric vehicles and buses.

"It impacts everyone, because the more we can save, the less we have to ask for tax increases, right?" Rosanne Wood, Leon County School Board Chair said. "And we don't want to do that. So we're just trying to be smart with our own money and how we can save money, again, to put it toward the classroom."

Once the blueprint for becoming a good and sustainable eco-school happens at DeSoto we'll see more eco-schools throughout Leon County and more savings for taxpayers.

Schools interested in becoming Eco-schools in Leon County:

DeSoto Trail

Bond

Apalachee

Gilchrist

Canopy Oaks

Nims Middle School

Sabal Palm

RAA Middle School

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