Francis Scott Key Middle School Named a National Green Ribbon School

April 23, 2012

Francis Scott Key Middle School has been selected as a recipient of the inaugural Green Ribbon School Award. The Silver Spring school is among a total of 78 winning schools from 29 states.

The Green Ribbon Schools award program, established in 2011, 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.

"This award is a reflection of our commitment to ensuring that all of our schools and facilities are environmentally friendly and foster healthy and productive learning environments,” said Superintendent of Schools, Joshua P. Starr. “Congratulations to the staff and students of Key Middle School on receiving this distinguished award.”

In 2009, Key Middle School 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.

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.

The 78 U.S. Green Ribbon Schools were selected from among nearly 100 nominees submitted by 30 state education agencies, the District of Columbia and the Bureau of Indian Education. More than 350 schools submitted applications.

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

Representatives from the winning schools will participate in a national awards ceremony on June 3 and June 4, 2012. The Maryland recipients 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.

Read the U.S. Department of Education Release

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