This month, the King County Green Schools Program is recognizing 55 schools for their conservation achievements, including two schools in Bothell.

Bothell High School was named a Level Three schools – Water Conservation and Pollution Prevention and Maywood Hills Elementary School was named a Level One schools – Waste Reduction and Recycling.

“These schools have initiated or improved sustainable practices and are teaching their students and employees about conservation,” said Dale Alekel, Green Schools Program manager.

Schools from 33 cities and 15 school districts in King County are engaging students, teachers, and other staff in reducing waste and recycling, and conserving water and energy, with help from the King County Green Schools Program.

The program involves students and school employees in learning about and practicing resource conservation. Alekel said that participating schools and school districts have reported saving money through reduced garbage volumes and decreased energy and water use.

“The King County Green Schools Program directly supports our goal of increasing the County’s recycling rate from 53 percent to 70 percent,” said Pat McLaughlin, director of the King County Solid Waste Division.

During the last school year, 75 percent of participating schools achieved recycling rates of at least 40 percent, and 15 percent of those schools reached recycling rates of 60 percent or better.

King County Solid Waste Division’s Green Schools Program, which assists and recognizes individual schools and school districts for reducing garbage, conserving energy, and saving water, has added a fourth level: “Sustaining Green School.”

“For students, teachers, custodians, administrators, and other members of the school community who have joined together to achieve the first three levels of the program, the Sustaining Green School level offers an incentive to sustain and build on their good work,” Alekel said.

To qualify for recognition as a Sustaining Green School, a school selects and completes an additional conservation practice or educational strategy from the program’s Best Practices Guides, while sustaining the conservation strategies the school achieved during the first three levels of the program.

The program has served a growing number of schools each year, from 100 schools in 2009-10 to 216 schools (40 percent of the schools in King County outside the City of Seattle) in 2014-15. The program also assists school districts, with 12 districts currently participating.

As of this month, of the 216 schools participating in the county program:

· 24 schools are being recognized as Sustaining Green Schools, which makes a total of 25 schools recognized in 2014-15 at this level;

· 199 schools have been recognized as Level One schools for their waste reduction and recycling practices;

· 114 schools have been recognized as Level Two schools for sustaining their Level One practices and engaging in energy conservation education and actions

· 83 schools have been recognized as Level Three schools for engaging in water conservation education and actions while maintaining their Level One and Two practices

Learn more by contacting Alekel at 206-477-5267 or dale.alekel@kingcounty.gov.