Environmental Stewardship
Commitment
For 10 years, Omaha Public Schools has worked to reduce district-wide consumption of natural resources and to embed environmental responsibility in our culture through the Green Schools Initiative. Students collect recycling, serve as energy managers, pick up litter, plant trees, and participate in related community events. Green Champions - including building administrators, teachers, custodians, and staff - bring sustainability to life in their classrooms and buildings. Since 2010, Omaha Public Schools has seen a positive culture change, dramatically reduced its environmental impact, and accumulated approximately $16 million in cost savings. Through energy conservation measures, the district has avoided a significant amount of greenhouse gas emissions - about 160,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide cumulatively.
Environmental Stewardship Plan
The district’s Strategic Plan of Action for 2020-2025 established the need to develop an environmental stewardship plan that is data-driven and school-centered to demonstrate an ethic of care for its students and staff. In August 2023, we met this goal when we finalized the environmental stewardship plan.
Verdis Group, our longtime local partner on this journey, assisted in leading us through a student-centered process to establish future-focused goals, which include:
- 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2040
- Achieve an average District-wide EnergyStar score of 70 by 2030
- 50% average diversion rate* by 2030
- Reduce water usage to an average of 9.5 gal/sq ft by 2030
- Achieve a 70 on the Environmental Stewardship Engagement Survey by 2030
*Diversion Rate represents the percentage of materials not going to the landfill.
We now have our roadmap for the next 10 years! Thank you to everyone involved in the process. We look forward to supporting our schools and community as these innovative strategies are implemented.
Resources
Environmental Stewardship
- Ayanna Boykins - Economic Inclusion and Workforce Development Administrator
- Dave Fannon - Administrator of Environmental/Safety