Mr. Speakman's fifth grade classroom at Ash Creek Intermediate, in Monmouth, looks like a typical social studies class you'd find anywhere in America.

His students are studying Christopher Columbus. They're focused on their lesson. They don't notice the lights are off. The don't notice the daylight spilling through the windows, flooding down circular skylights and pouring through skylight boxes in the hallway. They simply notice Christopher Columbus was way off target when he mistakenly landed in America.

But teachers notice the difference. And so do taxpayers.

"It's just tremendously positive." That's how Ash Creek Principal Barbara Whelander describes her "green school." She leads me through the hallways, points out the energy efficient florescent lights that automatically turn off when there's enough daylight. She says "we need to be good stewards of those dollars that the public trusts us with - I think we've done that here."

Ash Creek Intermediate opened in 2002. It's one of Oregon's first green schools, designed by BOORA Architects of Portland. State numbers show it cost nearly ten-percent less to construct than a traditional school. It uses at least thirty-percent less energy and water each year.

The annual savings add up. Brandon Adams, the School Programs Manager at the Oregon Department of Energy collects data from Oregon's eighteen "high efficiency schools". He says on average, the savings at each school "is enough to fund one teacher's salary a year."

"It's a much more responsible use of taxpayer dollars, they're environmentally friendly." Plus, Adams says the Oregon Department of Energy and local power companies give school districts incentives ranging from tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars to build green. There are currently five green schools in planning stages in Oregon. Adams says, per capita, Oregon leads the nation in "high efficiency schools."

There's also the impact on learning. Several studies have found test scores actually rise, slightly, in green schools. Adams quotes raw data collected in a Seattle study. "It's a fifteen percent increase on reading, a twelve percent increase on math!" He's amazed. Adams says the use of daylight in the classroom, rather than artificial light, proves better for learning.

And that's not all. Other studies suggest students and teachers get sick less in green schools, because the buildings are constructed with more natural materials on the floors and walls which emit fewer toxins. Plus, green schools use different ventilation systems that don't re-circulate air through an entire school, spreading air-borne illness or dust. Mike Kozisek, who supervises maintenance for the entire 13-J district, notices a difference at Ash Creek. He says "the ventilation system is just top of the line."

Whelander does not know if the "green school" trends of higher test scores and higher attendance rates ring true at Ash Creek Intermediate. She hasn't collected the data. Ash Creek Intermediate is the only school in the district with a blend of fifth and sixth grade students, so Whelander is not able to compare raw numbers. But she does know attendance is very high, which she considers to be very good. "We want kids to be here with their teachers, and to be learning." She looks around at the daylight bouncing off white banners, illuminating a project area between classrooms and says "this is a welcoming environment, a good place for kids to learn."

Back in Mr. Speakman's social studies class, they wrap up their lesson, close their books, and look forward to playing in the sunshine that's been lighting their classroom.

For more information, please visit:

http://www.oregon.gov/ENERGY/CONS/school/docs/ashcreek.PDF

http://www.cap-e.com/ewebeditpro/items/O59F9819.pdf

http://www.architectureweek.com/2007/0404/environment_2-2.html

http://www.boora.com/portfolio_project.asp?mktID=2100&projID=69