5 Unusual Ideas for 'Greening' a School

Right now, 60 million American kids make their way each day to an elementary, middle or high school. A quarter of those students—14 million—attend class in "deteriorating" public schools with "falling ceiling tiles, leaking roofs, and moldy walls" among other indignities. According to the National Education Association:

A Center for Green Schools report estimates that America's public schools will undergo $542 billion in updates and modernization over the next decade. And districts could use that money for buildings that conserve energy, cut down on waste, and make students healthier. "When we talk about a quality education, we talk about the 'who' and the 'what' - teachers and curriculum - but we don't talk about the 'where,'" Rachel Gutter, director of the group affiliated with the U.S. Green Building Council, told the Associated Press earlier this month. "That needs to change."