Students and staff at Lawrence High are familiar with the constant presence of trash and food waste in the hallways.

Despite numerous trash cans and recycling bins throughout LHS, some students continue to treat the school like a garbage bin. This commonplace littering hints at a bigger underlying issue: Is LHS environmentally friendly?

AP Environmental Science teacher Lisa Ball believes the school has room for improvement, starting with basic recycling.

“I still see lots of students throwing recyclables in the trash,” Ball said. “In my classroom, I try to catch them and send them to the recycling box, but I am sure we could increase our recycling rate schoolwide with a little more education.”

Senior and president of the Environmental Club Hazlett Henderson agrees with Ball.

“We have recycling boxes everywhere, but I think people don’t know how much they can recycle in them because they’re not just for paper,” Henderson explained.

On a grander scale, the Lawrence School District began an energy conservation program in 2003 that encourages staff to reduce their energy usage. Teachers are educated on the importance of turning off energy-consuming devices when they are not in use, particularly at night and over breaks.

In addition, air-conditioning and heating is automatically controlled, just as computers are automatically shut off at night. A district report estimated that roughly $3 million has been saved since the start of the program.

“The district also encourages recycling, and when possible, uses energy-efficient building materials and systems,” said Julie Boyle, district communications director.

Newer schools such as Langston Hughes Elementary and South Middle School were constructed using “green architecture” that took advantage of clean energy and conservation.

The recently-passed school bond issue will allow schools across the district to upgrade mechanical, plumbing and ventilation systems to become more energy efficient. The goal of these upgrades is to make a number of school buildings “net-zero,” meaning they will produce as much energy as they consume.

“Professional engineers have estimated that these upgrades will save the district $280,000 annually in utility costs,” Boyle said. “Those savings can be re-invested in education.”

While the Lawrence school district tries to go green, Saint John Catholic School, only a few blocks away from Lawrence High, is enjoying recognition for its green efforts. St. John was recently recognized as a Kansas Green School of the Year by the Kansas Association for Conservation and Environmental Education.

The award applauds St. John’s ongoing efforts to reduce waste and increase environmental education. The efforts began in the cafeteria where parents and lunchroom staff worked to reduce food waste while maintaining a balanced lunch for students.

“We were alarmed at the staggering amount of food wasted, averaging 40 to 70 pounds a day,” parent Rachel Myslivy said. “We saw a larger, systemic problem with the food culture of the school.”

So parents and students developed a new way to serve lunch and reduce waste. Previously students were served pre-made meals with set portions often resulting in wasted food. St. John students now pick the components of their lunch and get as much or as little as they want.

This strategy was implemented in addition to composting food waste. Myslivy now estimates that on average St. John only throws away 10 to 20 pounds of food per day and saves $8,000 annually. Unike St. John, Lawrence High does not have a composting program in place.

Currently St. John Catholic School integrates environmental education into all grade levels. Students perform various science experiments and even create art out of recycled materials.

“Our school offers integrated environmental education across the curriculum and in all grades,” Myslivy said. “Working toward the Green School Designation provided a lens to focus our multi-faceted efforts across the curriculum.”

Ball believes LHS staff can do more to incorporate environmental education into their curriculum.

Currently, only two classes offered at Lawrence High focus on environmental education.

“There is a way to incorporate environmental education into virtually every course, because of its multidisciplinary nature,” Ball said. “We are all affected by environmental issues on a daily basis so the more we can increase awareness, the better.”