Key Middle School Nominated for Green Schools Award

March 28, 2012

Francis Scott Key Middle School has been nominated by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) for the inaugural Green Ribbon Schools Award. The Silver Spring school was one of four schools nominated by MSDE.

The Green Ribbon Schools award program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education and recognizes schools that save energy, reduce costs, feature environmentally sustainable learning spaces, protect health, foster wellness, and offer environmental education to boost academic achievement and community engagement.

In 2009, Key Middle School, in Silver Spring, was the first middle school in Maryland and just the fourth in the country to achieve Gold Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certification from the United States Green Building Council. The modernization of Key Middle included many green construction practices, including the use of environmentally friendly building materials and the installation of solar photovoltaic panels to reduce energy costs.

The other Green Ribbon School nominees are Dunloggin Middle in Howard County, McKinsey Elementary in Anne Arundel County, and the Lucy School, a private school in Frederick County.

The winners will be announced by U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan on April 23, 2012 and representatives from the winning schools will be invited to participate in a national awards ceremony on June 3 and 4, 2012. Maryland nominees will also be recognized during the Maryland Green Schools Youth Summit sponsored by the Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education on June 1, 2012 at Sandy Point State Park in Anne Arundel County.

Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) has a comprehensive district-wide program to reduce the environmental footprint of its facilities, including recycling initiatives, energy conservation efforts and a commitment to green construction practices.

Read the MSDE Press Release

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