School Environment
Evaluation for Grades K-5
The School Environment Evaluation is for your use in
assessing your school campus and operations from an
environmental perspective. We recommend filling it out
electronically on the computer for easy revision and
filing. You may need to talk to Custodians,
Principal or office staff, and other teachers to complete
the evaluation. Student involvement is encouraged for the
educational opportunity the Evaluation provides. Once
completed, please print it and put a copy in your
Environmental Notebook for future reference and review.
The sets of questions below are organized in the areas to be
included in your TP3 Plan. If the concept of
pollution prevention is new to you, these questions will
help you look at your school from a new perspective.
The questions may require some investigation into records of
utility bills, amounts of waste produced and recycled, and
your school's habits or behaviors regarding purchasing,
transportation, and hazardous materials management. We
hope that you will begin keeping these records and paying
attention to pollution prevention opportunities. Some
questions may not apply to your school – just write n/a (not
applicable). Historical information as well as current
record keeping will be important for writing Success
Stories about your pollution prevention efforts.
School name:
Grade levels of students:
Date of evaluation completion:
Persons completing evaluation:
General Information
How many main structural buildings are on your campus?
Portable classrooms?
When were the buildings constructed? What is the total
square footage of buildings?
How many students and staff are at your school?
Obtain a map of the buildings and campus from your office
for use in projects. Mark important land areas on the
map (ball fields, gardens, compost areas, etc.) Keep
the map in your Environmental Notebook.
WASTE REDUCTION -- The Three R's
Where does your trash go? (local landfill, distant
landfill, incinerator)
What activity produces the largest amount of trash in your
building(s)?
Is littering a problem at your school?
Who litters?
Reduce
Does your cafeteria utilize washables (plates, cups, and
utensils) rather than disposables (paper/plastic/styrofoam
plates, cups, and utensils)?
Are students encouraged to use both sides of paper?
Are teachers and office staff encouraged to make
double-sided copies to save paper?
Does your school use e-mail to minimize the use of paper?
Reuse
Do some departments re-use items from other departments that
might otherwise be discarded?
(from office, art, athletics, academics, cafeteria.
Items such as boxes, paper, plastics etc.)
Does your school collect printer cartridges to mail in for
refilling?
Does your school collect used cell phones? (Both can
be a school fundraiser)
Recycle
Check the items your school currently recycles;
plastic, office paper, cardboard, magazines,
newspapers, phone books, junk mail, steel cans, aluminum
cans, other metals?
If available from the recycler, find out how much glass,
plastic, etc was recycled.
Does your school recycle electronic waste, such as,
computers, tvs, cameras?
Does your school have a composting or mulching program for
food scraps, grass clippings, and leaves from your grounds?
If yes, is the compost used
somewhere on the grounds?
Is there a net profit made from recycling?
If so, how is that money used?
Does your school purchase any products with recycled
content, ie, paper, outdoor equipment?
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS MANAGEMENT / REDUCTION
Inventory your facility for hazardous materials:
Kitchen (cleaning supplies)
Art and/or office supplies
Janitors’ cleaning supplies
Science laboratories
Other
The following three questions should be asked of each area
listed above.
1.
Has there been an effort to substitute
toxic/hazardous materials with safer options?
Where?
2.
Are chemicals/supplies used and stored with proper
ventilation?
3.
How is disposal of outdated or hazardous materials
handled?
Where does used cooking oil from the cafeteria go?
(recycled, landfill, biodiesel, heating oil?)
Does your school system spray for pests every month whether
you have them or not?
If yes, check into Integrated Pest Management (IPM) for safe
alternatives to pest control.
ENERGY
CONSERVATION
(Promotes
cleaner air by reducing emissions at power plants)
What sources of energy (fuels) does your school use?
Propane or natural gas - Electricity - Wood - Other -
How much electricity did your school use last year?
Natural gas/propane?
(electric bills show consumption in Kilowatt-hours/month –
add them up for the year)
Has your school ever raised awareness about school energy
use?
Has your school ever had an energy audit?
(Contact Terry Ellis at 1-800-342-1340 to sign up)
Has there been any use of alternative energy sources?
(passive solar, photovoltaic, geothermal, wind)
Heating and Coolin
What fuel provides heat?
What fuel provides cooling?
Does your school control the heating and cooling by energy
management system or manually?
Do trees planted at the north side of the building break the
cold wind during winter and large trees shade the building
in summer?
Lighting
Has your school had a lighting upgrade to install more
efficient lighting?
Are lights turned off when a room is unoccupied?
Are there any incandescent bulbs that could be changed to
compact fluorescents?
Where?
Since EXIT signs are on constantly, have energy-efficient
LED signs been installed?
Water Heating
What
fuel is used to run the hot water heater?
At what temperature is the water heater thermostat set?
(105-115°F
should be adequate for handwashing)
Insulation
Are there drafts around outside doors and windows?
Identify for your information.
Is there weather stripping on outside doors?
Are any windows cracked or broken?
Are there storm windows and/or window coverings on
single-pane windows?
Kitchen or Cafeteria
What fuel provides energy for cooking?
Is a dishwasher in use in the kitchen? Is the water
temperature set at 180°F?
Do refrigerator and freezer doors seal well?
LAND
AND WATER CONSERVATION
What
is the source of your water supply?
What are the uses of water in your facility? (Make a
list)
How much water is used each month (check water bill)?
Are there leaky faucets? How many?
Are there toilets that constantly run water?
How many?
Where does school waste water go?
(city sewage, septic system or on-site water treatment
plant)
Where does school parking lot storm water go?
What kinds of wildlife have you seen on your grounds?
Are there any bird feeders or animal feeding stations
provided?
Is there a creek or pond on or near your grounds?
Is there an effort to plant native Tennessee plant species?
Are there non-native invasive plant species on your grounds?
(Japanese or bush honeysuckle, privet, multiflora rose,
etc.)
Are gardens mulched to conserve moisture?
How are the plants watered?precipitation only, well-water,
city water, drip irrigation system, rain barrels?)
Is watering system on a timer with rain gauge?
Is garden watering done in the early morning or late evening
to prevent evaporation?
Is there evidence of erosion anywhere on your school
grounds?
CLEAN AIR
What modes of transportation do people use to travel to
school? Check any that apply.
Individual vehicle School bus City bus
Rideshare (carpool, vanpool) Bicycle Walk
What type of fuel is used in vehicles that are used to
travel to school? gasoline diesel biodiesel
What time of day does mowing take place?
(Morning and evening is best to avoid ozone formation from
burning of fossil fuels during peak heat of the day)
Are copiers and printers in well-ventilated areas (some of
this equipment generates ozone)?
Is the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC)
system serviced (filters cleaned or replaced) on a regular
basis for good indoor air quality?
How often?
Has the building been tested for radon?
How many employees, students, or members of your group
suffer from asthma or other respiratory ailments? (ask
the nurse or office staff)
Has your school used EPA’s Tools for Schools Indoor Air
Quality Guide to help identify indoor air quality problems?
Green
Surveys