SHAWNEE, Kan. (AP) A northeast Kansas elementary school has been named a Green Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education for its environmental activities.
The Shawnee Mission District’s Bluejacket-Flint Elementary in Shawnee was among 64 schools nationwide receiving the honor Monday.
The designation recognizes efforts by individual schools to reduce the impact on the environment, lower energy costs and promote better health.
Bluejacket-Flint used federal energy standards to reduce utility use by 52 percent, resulting in a 29 percent cut in energy costs in one year. A parent-teacher group also spent $50,000 on an outdoor classroom to teach students to be better stewards of the environment, including increasing recycling and composting.