District implements new procedures to combat drought
November 5, 2014
Conserving water isn’t something you do at home. Students and school officials can save water while on campus, too.
The Los Angeles Unified School District began measures to combat the ongoing state drought on April 8, according to an news release.
This new plan proposed by school board vice-president Steve Zimmer included a “report on current efforts throughout LAUSD,” a “Drought Awareness Week” for the month of October and the development of new curricula on water conservation. It will be taught to LAUSD students, and includes a new proposed service learning project.
“It is so important that LAUSD highlight our efforts in water conservation and focus on ways we can do even better. And finally, I want to make sure we use our classrooms as a platform for educating our students, families, and communities about the impact of the drought and our potential to each make a difference for our environment,” Zimmer said.
Former-superintendent John Deasy was asked to work with schools, LAUSD’s curriculum office, museums and science centers in order to develop the new water conservation curriculum. Since his resignation, the current superintendent Ramon Cortines has not issued a statement regarding the state of the program.
LAUSD also issued a “Water Wise” water sustainability flier that detailed current energy-efficiency projects. These projects include lighting and bathroom-fixture retrofitting and builds on goals set by a partnership with The Energy Coalition, a non-profit organization that focuses on increasing energy efficiency in schools, business and governments, that was announced in December of 2013.
LAUSD’s water conservation efforts date back to 2007, when the school board approved the “Green LAUSD” plan for planting water-efficient plants in schools to minimize water use in school landscaping.
