The Green Acres Elementary School in Live Oak is about to become home to the first completely green educational facility in the county.
The Green Acres Elementary School in Live Oak is about to become home to the first completely green educational facility in the county. Its new building, about to be opened, includes two classrooms and several offices for the school’s after school programs. It was designed to be off the grid as much as possible, with lighting derived mainly from solar panel tubes and large windows. The building was constructed out of sustainable lumber, and the ceiling is made of corrugated metal. None of the paints used in the building emit toxic chemicals. The cost of the building came to $520,000.
The Live Oaks building represents a growing trend in the county to create greener schools. “Every building we build we will look at making 100 percent green from now on,” says County Superintendent Michael Watkins. A new green classroom is already slated for the Tierra Pacifica charter school, also in Live Oak, and the alternative Watsonville Community School is also in the process of going green. As for the County Office of Education, it is installing solar panels at its Santa Cruz offices to provide electricity. Read more at Santa Cruz Sentinel.
