Green Building Case-Study

Austin ISD embraces sustainability as a driving force behind its mission to provide a comprehensive educational experience that is high quality, challenging, and inspires students to make a positive contribution to society. Sustainability is a channel through which Austin ISD is reinventing the urban school experience.

This commitment extends to the built environment. Hill Elementary School has been designed and built to high green building standards, resulting in an AEGB 3-Star rating.

Hill Elementary Case-Study (ENG & ESP) or see All Green Building Case Studies

Green Building Features

• 24% energy savings compared to modeled baseline, achieved through efficient HVAC systems, daylight and occupancy sensors, high performing windows, and LED lighting.

• 14% potable water saved indoors with water efficient plumbing fixtures including faucets, toilets and showers to reduce demand on the city’s water infrastructure.

• 86% potable water saved outdoors by using native and adapted water-smart plants and efficient irrigation equipment.

• 62% of project construction waste diverted from the landfill, totaling 478,740 pounds. The school now recycles and composts to further reduce landfill waste.

• Low and non-emitting materials selected to ensure healthy indoor air quality. Many of these materials are made with recycled and Texas sourced content

• Nearly 47% of AISD’s food budget is spent in Texas, providing healthy produce from local farms and promoting environmentally sound agricultural practices.

• Bicycle facilities support a healthy lifestyle, reduce pollution and traffic congestion, and support community resiliency through alternatives to gas fueled cars.

• Green cleaning and pest management practices protect building occupants and the environment from potentially hazardous chemicals and contaminants.

• School grounds feature nature for enriched handson learning across all subject areas, and light fixtures that protect the beauty of the night sky and the habitats of nocturnal wildlife.

Since 2004, all new schools and renovations have worked to achieve high green building ratings from Austin Energy Green Building (AEGB), LEED, or both.  Modernization projects in  the 2017 Bond Program are already earning green building awards,  with many more on track as they reach full completion.

Outdoor Learning & Sustainability

Outdoor Learning Spaces (map)

Resources from our partner the Children & Nature Network

• Benefits of Play (PDF): Natural areas promote child-directed free play that is imaginative, constructive, sensory rich and cooperative.
• Increase Physical Activity (PDF): Green schoolyards can promote physical activity by offering a variety of active play options that engage children of varying fitness levels, ages and genders.
• Mental Health Benefits (PDF): Green schoolyards can enhance mental health and well-being and promote social-emotional skill development.
• Schoolyards and Academics Outcomes (PDF): Green schoolyards promote academic achievement through hands-on, experiential learning and by enhancing the cognitive and emotional processes important for learning.

Austin ISD supports the Austin Community Climate Plan

Austin ISD supports the Austin Community Climate Plan, which sets a goal to achieve net-zero community-wide greenhouse gas emissions by 2040 with a strong emphasis on cutting emissions by 2030, including by expanding the use of electric vehicles and associated infrastructure.

Resolution by the Board of Trustees - September 29, 2022

Austin ISD Utilities Dashboard

Equity is a key focus for the 2017 Bond Program, not only for the students and families the district serves, but for the many businesses and contractors involved in the planning and implementation of the bond work. Austin ISD actively encourages participation by historically underutilized businesses (HUBs) to support equity in contracting. 

A HUB is a business that is 51 percent owned, managed, and controlled by a minority or woman — groups that are historically underrepresented in architecture, construction and other professional services. AISD supports one of the most comprehensive public school HUB programs in the nation, providing tools for minority- and women-owned businesses to do business with the district.

As of October 2020, HUB companies are approaching 50 percent of the 2017 Bond Program’s architecture and engineering contracts and 20 percent of construction contracts. AISD’s gender and race-conscious approach to supplier diversity allows students to see themselves represented in industries like construction, engineering and architecture, inspiring their future careers.  

To learn more about the district’s HUB Program department, visit AustinISD.org/hub. Sustainability is also a driving force behind the district’s mission to provide a high-quality and comprehensive education, and cannot be achieved without equity. At its core, sustainability is a way to balance the needs of the natural environment, financial resources, and the needs of the community. It supports health and wellbeing through conservation and protection of natural ecosystems. In action, sustainability encompasses many activities and initiatives, including recycling and composting, energy and water conservation, preservation of trees and native species, and reduced emissions. As a district-wide initiative, AISD is working to bring the latest green building innovations and technologies to all schools.  These efforts not only make the District responsible stewards, but also challenge and inspire students to make a positive contribution to our world.

Visit AustinISD.org/sustainability to learn more.