FISD Models Environmental Education Lessons (October, 2008)

Fowler ISD Counselor Andrea Williams wants Fowler to be the “greenest” campus in all of Frisco Independent School District.

Fowler may well garner that title this year but it will be a hard-earned title because FISD is becoming greener each day.

For instance:

• Recycling Green Teams are active at all elementary and middle school campuses. The high schools have environmental science classes.

• When you see an FISD bus sitting parked in a neighborhood without the engine running it is because FISD has a no idle policy. If a bus is parked for more than two minutes, drivers turn off the engines to limit emissions.

• When pest control for fire ants is conducted on FISD grounds, the ant bait that is broadcast is green listed.

• Landscaping around FISD buildings is now more drought tolerant than in the past. Drought tolerant and native plants allow for less watering.

• All new FISD buildings are geothermal, which saves money on heating and cooling. And all new construction is designed with energy efficiency in mind.

• FISD construction also meets the City of Frisco Green Building Program guidelines.

• An energy management system utilizes central control of mechanical and electrical systems as well as accurate data that can be used to develop utilization plans to maximize energy conservation.

• FISD, along with the City of Frisco, is considering recycling food containers.

• Use of disposable service ware is kept at a minimum in all FISD school kitchens and cardboard is flattened and recycled.

• Many of the custodial chemicals used are part of the new “Green Seal” and EPA initiatives that base ratings on reduced human and aquatic toxicity.

So up against all the schools this already environmentally aware school district, how will Fowler meet its goal at being the greenest campus in FISD?

“It is our plan to model ways to be green to other schools,” Williams explained. Fowler has the added bonus of being home campus of Dianne Miller, the FISD Recycling Coordinator. With the leadership of Williams and Miller, Fowler is piloting several new programs that could easily be adopted at other campuses.

For instance, the Fowler PTA has purchased reusable lunch bags to encourage students and teachers who bring their lunch to stop using plastic bags.

Lunch recycling and composting is a big part of the Fowler “green” plan. Each lunch period has green team members who man the recycling bins for plastic and aluminum, and composting for paper products and food waste. Each table has a person responsible for checking for items dropped on the floor or left on the table that can be recycled or composted. The school composts using The City of Plano Pure program.

Ms. Miller says she surprised the City of Plano environmental contact when she called last year and asked if Fowler Middle School could participate in the Plano Composting program – which markets Texas Pure compost. Fowler wasn’t on the list of schools the department had because of it being an FISD school – but it is in Plano and is now part of the composting program. The compostable materials such as; paper serving trays, napkins, paper bags, and food leftovers, are separated into compostable garbage bags and placed into four separate containers (provided by Plano). Plano Pure then picks up this compostable material from Fowler, on a daily basis. 

“We have been able to reduce garbage pickup at the school to two days a week from five days, just by cutting down our lunch materials that are compostable or recyclable,” Ms. Miller said.

Mrs. Williams adds that she estimates the school has probably reduced 1/3 of the trash materials from each lunch – Miller even estimated it might be more. “The big dumpster holds eight yards of trash – and they are only emptying it twice a week now instead of five days a week.” Miller said.

The two are also proud of a new program at Fowler to save on the waste of plastic trash can bags. “It was my husband’s idea,” Williams said. The green team has labeled the lids of copy paper boxes (another recycling idea) and distributed them throughout the school. Teachers are asked to place the lids over their trash cans at the end of the day if the plastic bin liner isn’t full. This informs the custodians that the liner doesn’t need to be changed and saves on plastic waste. It was not unusual in the past, for the custodians to routinely change bin liners even if there were only a few items in the trash can.

The teachers have also been supplied with a separate bin for saving and reusing copy paper that has only been printed on one side and can be reused. The Functional Academics class at Fowler is taking this paper and making notepads that can be used throughout the school.

Fowler is using signage throughout the building to remind teachers and students to turn off lights and to shut down computers and monitors completely to avoid wasting “phantom power.” Ms. Miller says the green teams are hoping to be able to reduce the school’s electric bill by as much as 10 percent. A program dedicated to light switch patrol called “Watt Watchers” may be instituted in FISD, in the future.

The Fowler video productions class is working on green tips to be aired on campus television. The green team also has a mascot – the Green Spot. Look for the Green Spot to begin appearing at functions such as the FEF Chili Challenge and Gary Burns Fun Run. The green team members will take turns being the Green Spot.

Many of these Fowler initiatives have been very simple and would work at any campus. For instance, the faculty has done away with using Styrofoam cups and now uses ceramic mugs.

Students are catching on to the importance of recycling even outside of the lunch period. Recently, the students in athletics began recycling/composting the fast food trash from their meals ordered on game day – an idea that came from a student, not a faculty member.

Mrs. Williams and Ms. Miller have plans for further environmental education at Fowler. They are working on a plan for a field trip to a major recycling center and they also hope to be able to track Fowler’s recycled trash to its final destination.

What is motivating the Fowler faculty and student body to be so green? The desire to be good stewards of the world is one motivator but they also hope for something tangible. Williams plans to apply for awards offered to schools for their environmental programs – hoping for a trophy and perhaps some cash for the school – reaping some green for being green.