[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 7] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page 9447] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]THE GREEN SCHOOLS ACT OF 2008, H.R. 6065 ______ HON. MARK STEVEN KIRK of illinois in the house of representatives Thursday, May 15, 2008 Mr. KIRK. Madam Speaker, I am proud to stand here today to introduce legislation with Congressman Christopher Carney (D-PA) which will provide healthier and more productive environments for students. As energy prices soar and state budgets shrink, schools around the country need more assistance than ever to keep afloat. Congress can provide a commonsense way to help schools achieve fiscal sustainability by helping them to reach energy sustainability through energy efficient and other green improvements. According to the independent U.S. Green Buildings Council which established a nationally recognized green school certification program, the LEED rating system, green schools on average save $100,000 per year. This is enough to hire two new teachers, buy 500 new computers or purchase 5,000 new textbooks. In fact, if all new school construction or school renovations went green, energy savings alone would total $20 billion over the next ten years. Green schools also provide better environments for our children, improving student achievement and health. Students at LEED certified schools perform twenty percent better on reading tests and twenty-four percent better on math tests than the average student. There are nearly forty percent fewer asthma occurrences at green schools, contributing to the decreased number of sick days students experience. Providing green school improvements are extremely cost effective. Construction costs average less than $3 per square foot more to build, yet save roughly $12 per square foot in energy and water savings. Some schools are already investing in green school technology to take advantage of all the benefits it provides. I am proud that a school in my Congressional District of northern Illinois, Thomas Middle School, installed a one-kilowatt solar array on its roof in November, 2007 with a $10,000 grant from the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation. The photovoltaic panel produced enough energy to date to offset more than 310 pounds of carbon dioxide. The output so far is equivalent to the energy needed to power 3 homes for one day, or operate one TV for 1,084 hours. Thomas Middle School teachers also use the solar array data to help teach students about the importance of renewable energy. Classes use the information from the solar panels in experiments about energy conservation and environmental protection. I applaud Thomas Middle School Principal Tom O'Rourke and science department chair Jay Bingaman for taking such an initiative to improve the school, environment and education of their students. We are introducing the Green Schools Act to encourage schools all around the country to follow the example of Thomas Middle School. This legislation provides up to $10,000 in matching grants for schools to undertake green construction and improvement projects. The bill would also reauthorize the Qualified Zone Academy bonds program, which is used to fund renovations and repairs at schools in low-income neighborhoods. The bill would require that any improvements or rehabilitations be energy efficient. Since its establishment in 1997, the QZAB program has provided nearly $1.7 billion for school improvements projects. I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting this bill to improve the health and education of our children and provide financial security to schools. ____________________