The district is wrapping up the final year of a five-year effort towards our latest set of sustainability goals detailed in the Sustainability Action Plan and Green New Deal resolution. BVSD has had a formal sustainability program with established goals since 2009. Staff will present an official update on progress to the Board of Education next week. 

As they prepare to graduate, two BVSD seniors share their experiences serving on the Green Youth Council and the District Sustainability Advisory Committee, along with their lessons learned, passion for sustainability and hopes for the future.

With over 4.8 million square feet of building space and 650 acres of grounds, how BVSD builds and operates its buildings and sites is a core part of our sustainability efforts. This large footprint creates a tremendous opportunity to reduce resource consumption and emissions, and improve the health of building occupants and the planet. Some of BVSD’s recent efforts in this area include planning for decarbonization, collecting better data about energy use and expanding our solar power. 

When Ghita Carroll arrived in Boulder Valley School District in 2008, sustainability work was already happening in pockets across the system. What didn’t exist yet was a shared vision to bring it all together. Eighteen years later, Carroll is reflecting on all that has been accomplished, as she prepares to retire this spring.