U.S. Secretary of Education Names OSD a Green Ribbon Sustainability Awardee

Managing director of the White House Council on environmental quality Christy Goldfuss joined U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to announce Wednesday that the Oxford School District is among the 2015 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools District Sustainability Awardees.

The Oxford School District was the only Mississippi public school district out of 14 school districts in the nation recognized; the school district was nominated by the Mississippi Department of Education. The Oxford School District is dedicated to: saving energy and reducing environmental impact and costs; improving the health and wellness of students and staff; and providing effective environmental and sustainability education, incorporating STEM, civic skills and green career pathways.

“We are honored that our school district is being recognized as a leader in environmental stewardship, health and sustainability,” said Brian Harvey, superintendent of the Oxford School District. “We believe in creating new thinkers and leaders who will address future concerns that we face today; we must take care of the things that have been bestowed to us. We feel that our way of contributing to our wonderful community is to put sustainable practices in place in our schools. Our hope is to create a sense of community among our students and teachers, and that our environmental stewards will continue to pass on these practices to future generations.”

In total, across the country, 58 schools and 14 districts were honored for their exemplary efforts to reduce environmental impact and utility costs, promote better health, and ensure effective environmental education, including civics and green career pathways. In addition, 9 colleges and universities were honored for the Postsecondary Sustainability Award. Duncan and Goldfuss made the announcement at the U.S. Department of Education, in Washington, DC.

“These honorees are compelling examples of the ways schools can help children build real-world skillsets, cut school costs, and provide healthy learning environments,” Duncan said. “U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools are an inspiration and deserve the spotlight for embodying strong examples of innovative learning and civic engagement. We also are thrilled to add institutions of higher education to the list of honorees this year for the first time in the award’s history.”

The schools, districts, and postsecondary institutions were confirmed from a pool of candidates voluntarily nominated by 30 state education agencies, with honorees selected from 28 jurisdictions. The list of 81 total selectees includes 52 public schools and six private schools. The public schools include two charter and three magnet schools. The schools serve various grade levels, including 35 elementary, 19 middle and 17 high schools are among them, with several schools having various K-12 configurations, from 28 of the nominating authorities. Forty-seven percent of the 2015 honorees serve a disadvantaged student body, 22 percent are rural, and one-third of the postsecondary institutions are community colleges. The list of all selected schools, districts, colleges, and universities, as well as their nomination packages, can be found here. A report with highlights on the 81 honorees can be found here.

More information on the federal recognition award can be found here. Resources for all schools to move toward the three Pillars can be found here.

Visit the district website for more information on the Oxford School District.