St. Mary’s County Public Schools is committed to a Green School Program that ensures that we work with our students, staff, and community to change energy use and environmental awareness habits through education so that we become lifelong learners and ambassadors of the environment. With an average monthly electric bill of $320,000 for 26 schools and three offices, totaling $3.8 million annually, conserving energy is a practice that must be on the minds of all St. Mary’s County Public Schools staff, students, and parents. As part of the Green School Program, Dr. Michael J. Martirano, Superintendent of Schools, challenged all of the site administrators to have their schools certified as a Maryland Green School.
The Maryland Association of Environmental and Outdoor Education (MAEOE) administers the Maryland Green School Awards Program, which is a holistic, integrated approach to authentic learning that incorporates local environmental issue investigation, professional development with environmental best management practices, and community stewardship. Maryland Green Schools and Centers must be recertified every four years. After three successful recertification’s, a school can be granted the title of Sustained Green School.
Prior to the 2013 application process, St. Mary’s County Public School System had 19 schools and one green center certified through the MAEOE Maryland Green School Awards Program. These schools/centers are (the date is the year the school was certified or recertified):
- Hollywood Elementary School: 1999, 2002, 2006, 2010 (Sustained Green School)
- Oakville Elementary School: 2006, 2010
- Benjamin Banneker Elementary School: 2009
- Chesapeake Public Charter School: 2009
- Piney Point Elementary School: 2009
- White Marsh Elementary School: 2009
- Greenview Knolls Elementary: 2010
- Lettie Marshall Dent Elementary School: 2010
- Elms Environmental Education Center: 2010
- Evergreen Elementary School: 2011
- Dr. James A. Forrest Career and Technolog
