LAUSD is creating outdoor learning environments, sustainable learning gardens, nature-based early education outdoor classrooms, and removing 30% of asphalt paving to provide green/nature schoolyards. 

The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) is a leader in fostering sustainable, healthy, and comfortable schools. Since 2003 LAUSD has been partnered with the Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) to apply their strict building standards on all new schools and existing school modernization projects. On August 9th, 2023, CHPS announced the launch of the CHPS Minor Renovations Program with LAUSD committing to participate in the program’s development. LAUSD's own Director of Architecture & Engineering Services, Christos Chrysiliou presented on the District’s perspective on the Minor Renovations Program during the webinar. 

Every year, schools in the U.S. spend more than $12.5 billion on energy. By working with CHPS to ensure that our school buildings operate efficiently, the District can help reduce energy and water use while closing the funding gaps and creating better learning environments.

It is estimated that 53% of public schools need to invest in infrastructure repairs, renovations, and modernizations, and these vital upgrades are not getting done at the rate or scale needed to provide safe and productive learning environments for all students and staff.

There is no industry-aligned set of best practices for minor school building renovation projects. The existing certification programs focus on major new construction and renovation projects, leaving many of the smaller ones to fall through the cracks due to a lack of funding and resources. With the CHPS Minor Renovations Program, LAUSD is committing to taking the high performance practices used on larger school projects and applying them to smaller renovation projects. Together, CHPS and LAUSD aspire to make every school an ideal place to learn while minimizing impacts on our natural world and neighboring communities.

For 20 years CHPS has maintained its status as the nation’s only third-party building standard that was exclusively developed for K-12 schools. Now, CHPS is aligning with the growing needs of our public schools. Their new program is an important pillar for better school design standards. The program will cover all aspects of school buildings that affect student performance, including air quality, lighting, classroom temperatures, and more.

Los Angeles Unified School District is excited to announce its participation in this ground-breaking program. Together with other leading experts, CHPS will define the criteria and launch the Minor Renovations Program, and LAUSD is committed to participating in the pilot for the improvement and modernization of public school buildings. LAUSD sees how the Minor Renovations Program will benefit its students and offer a new way for all school districts to address their most pressing facility improvement needs. Together, CHPS and LAUSD can ensure the best practices that improve building performance, cut energy costs, and support student wellness and achievement are applied to building projects no matter their size.

“Los Angeles Unified stays committed to developing ecologically-sustainable infrastructure upgrades for our schools, which is why we require CHPS for new construction and major modernization projects. Expanding the program to include smaller renovation projects is a natural trajectory that will help further efforts to reflect high performance standards in our school buildings and infrastructure.” Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho

On May 2nd, 2023, LAUSD (Los Angeles Unified School District) announced that the Sun Valley Bus Depot will be fully electric by 2026. LAUSD will purchase 180 buses and EV (Electric Vehicle) charging stations to its first all-electric bus depot. The electrification plan is the largest single purchase of new electric school buses, chargers, and electric infrastructure by any school district in the country. By 2040 LAUSD will electrify its entire bus fleet. Currently, only six of the buses at the Sun Valley Bus Depot are electric. The electrification planning phase is currently underway. The construction phase is expected to begin towards the end of 2024.

When the project is complete the bus depot will reduce the district’s carbon dioxide emissions by 780,000 tons each year. The cost savings for the district will be about $2 million annually. The Sun Valley Bus Depot houses about 20% of LAUSD’s school buses and is responsible for providing over 4,600 students with rides to and from school.

In addition to going fully electric at the Sun Valley Bus Depot, LAUSD plans to install a green retaining wall around the perimeter to help protect the neighboring magnet school during construction. By electrifying the Sun Valley bus fleet, LAUSD is eliminating a source of regional fossil fuel emissions, which will improve air quality and lung health for the surrounding communities. The district is also assessing solar panel installation at the facility, which would help the district meet its goal of achieving 100% clean and renewable energy by 2030.
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Superintendent Carvalho estimates the buses at Sun Valley will cost about $72 million, and the infrastructure will cost about another $75 million. However, each bus is expected to save $10,000 annually in maintenance and fuel costs, in addition to the cost savings from selling electricity back to the grid with the buses’ bidirectional charging capability. The manufacturer, Blue Bird, made the six electric buses Sun Valley Bus Depot currently uses, which include bidirectional charging technology. By including bidirectional charging, the Sun Valley Bus Depot will also help make the regional power more resilient by discharging power during periods of peak demand and charging overnight when electricity demand is at its lowest. 

​The Sustainability Initiatives Unit is proud to announce that LAUSD has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Energy in the 2023 Better Buildings Challenge: Better Practice category. The District was recognized with the Better Practice award for creating a pathway to achieve 100% clean renewable energy in all sectors by 2040.
 
Christos Chrysiliou, Director of Architecture Engineering, accepted the award at the DOE’s Better Buildings Summit in Washington DC.  “It’s great to be recognized for our work towards achieving our District’s resolution for 100% Clean Renewable Energy by 2040. I am honored to be directing the decarbonization efforts for our School District. Thanks to the U.S. Department of Energy for their support and encouragement and to all of our teams for their commitment towards this great initiative.”
 
The Better Practice award is given to partners for implementing innovative practices around decarbonization, energy and water efficiency, and waste reduction. LAUSD adopted goals for a 20% reduction in energy consumption by 2024, achieving 100% clean renewable energy in its electricity sector by 2030, and 100% clean energy in all sectors by 2040. The District has already implemented several energy-saving measures which aim to make schools more sustainable, healthier, and efficient places to learn, work, and play. 

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Director of the Better Buildings Initiative, Maria Vargas, recognized the importance of LAUSD's role in the Low Carbon Pilot effort which will help advance the path to decarbonizing buildings. LAUSD has been working on this pilot for over three years and appreciates the DOE for showcasing the District's vital work on low and no carbon school buildings. 

To read more about LAUSD's Low and No Carbon action plan click on the link below: 

LAUSD Action Plan Template.pdf (energy.gov)

The California Department of General Services (DGS) and Division of State Architects (DSA) went on a green schoolyard tour on March 24, 2023 to visit the new Outdoor Classroom at Gledhill EEC and the DROPS greening at the Northridge Middle School campus.
​The Gledhill EEC tour showcased over 12,800 square feet of improvements where over 90% of the asphalt was removed to support sustainable and permeable surfaces. The DROPS tour at Northridge MS showcased over 200,000 square feet of improved areas to create bioretention and native planting areas. To learn more about the DROPS project at Northridge MS, click here.