Secretary of Education Ron Tomalis Thursday sent to the U.S. Department of Education the nomination of four Pennsylvania schools to compete for the Green Schools Award and one school district for the District Sustainability Award.

The Green Ribbon Schools program recognizes schools that are working to reduce environmental impact and costs; improve the health and wellness of students and staff; and provide effective environmental and sustainability education.

“The department received several qualified applicants, making it a very competitive selection process,” Tomalis said. “I am pleased that schools across the state are working to make changes to reduce energy consumption, which ultimately reduces operating costs for taxpayers.”

The four schools nominated are:

-- Nazareth Area Middle School, Nazareth Area School District, Northampton County;

-- Broughal Middle School, Bethlehem Area School District, Northampton County;

-- Albert M. Greenfield Elementary School, Philadelphia School District; and

-- Westtown School, Chester County.

Tomalis also nominated Lower Merion School District, Montgomery County, for the District Sustainability Award, which recognizes a school district for applying energy conservation initiatives across multiple school buildings throughout the district.

The department received 17 Green Schools applications from public and private schools and four District Sustainability applications.

The U.S. Department of Education is expected to announce the winners in late April.

Last year, Tomalis nominated four schools for this recognition and all were named Green Ribbon Schools by the U.S. Department of Education.  Pennsylvania was one of only six states to have all nominees selected for an award.

These four schools have also been named 2013 Pennsylvania Pathways Schools and will receive a financial incentive to further their work on achieving the goals set forth in the Green Ribbon Schools pillars:

-- Reducing environmental impact;

-- Having a positive impact on the health and performance of students and staff; and

-- Ensuring graduates are environmentally and sustainability literate upon graduation.

“These schools are to be commended for implementing initiatives to reduce costs and incorporate environmental stewardship into their educational program,” Tomalis said.  “I encourage all Pennsylvania schools to incorporate energy saving plans into their operations.”

For more information, visit the Pennsylvania Pathways Schools website.

2/25/2013