Where Are the Greenest Schools in the Country?
The definition of being eco-conscious is so much more than having solar panels on a roof
- By Megan Gambino
- Smithsonian.com, April 12, 2013
Kiowa County School, junior high laboratory, Greensburg, Kansas. Architect: Interior Design, Landscape: BNIM Architects. (Farshid Assassi)
Greensburg, Kansas
On May 4, 2007, a 1.7-mile-wide tornado leveled Greensburg, Kansas. Twelve residents of the tiny town (population: 1,400) were killed, and the damages to the infrastructure were massive. Nearly all of the homes were obliterated, as was the local school. Greensburg, sad as the disaster was, was now a clean slate. So, when it came to rebuilding, the townspeople made every effort to go green. Kiowa County School, completed in July 2010, is a $45 million LEED-Platinum building that serves 250 students from kindergarten through grade 12. Just outside of the junior high laboratory (shown above) is a 50-kilowatt wind turbine that converts the gusts whipping across the prairie into electricity for the school.
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