Metrics should guide strategy for schools seeking LEED certification

Existing schools interested in applying for LEED Building Operation and Maintenance certification should start with a thorough understanding of key performance metrics.

Measures of energy and water consumption, along with waste, transportation, and air quality assessments are all necessary before starting a sustainability project. This data, which can be tracked over time, helps determine where actions will be most impactful.

A school system could address one issue in all of its schools or focus on one school for a full makeover. Arc, a digital platform that helps schools collect, manage, and benchmark data to improve sustainability is an effective tool to help focus resources where most needed.

About 110 K-12 schools are using Arc. Existing schools can use it to track sustainability data and upload policies and procedures and submit it all for LEED certification.