Sustainable Jersey for Schools on Sept. 11 announced the names of 91 schools that achieved the prestigious Sustainable Jersey for Schools certification. The 91 kindergarten through twelfth-grade schools come from 43 different school districts across 18 New Jersey counties. In three years, 194 schools have achieved Sustainable Jersey for Schools certification.

A total of 679 schools and 273 school districts are participating in the program overall.

“We are proud of the leadership provided by the boards of education and their superintendents, as well as the contributions of principals, teachers, education support professionals and parents, that made this important milestone a reality,” said Dr. Lawrence S. Feinsod, New Jersey School Boards Association executive director. “We congratulate the schools on achieving Sustainable Jersey for Schools certification.”

On Oct. 24, 2017, the certified schools and their districts will be celebrated at a reception held during NJSBA Workshop 2017 in Atlantic City. Workshop 2017 will feature Sustainable Jersey for Schools sessions along with NJSBA sustainability support programs for schools.

Sustainable Jersey for Schools, a program for kindergarten through twelfth-grade public schools in New Jersey, is voluntary, but achieving certification is not easy. Each school that is certified at the bronze level must submit documentation to show it has completed a balanced portfolio of the program’s sustainability actions, attaining a minimum of 150 points.

Four schools achieved certification at the more advanced silver level: Tabernacle Elementary School from Tabernacle Township School District; and the George L. Catrambone Elementary School, Long Branch Middle School and Morris Avenue Elementary School from Long Branch Public School District. Silver-level certification requires a minimum of 350 points of sustainability actions.

The past year has been exceptional. Over 2,700 sustainability actions were completed by schools and districts participating in the Sustainable Jersey for Schools program – from performing energy audits and boosting recycling efforts, to integrating sustainability into student learning and promoting student and staff wellness.

The Sustainable Jersey for Schools program partners include: NJSBA, New Jersey Association of School Administrators (NJASA), New Jersey Association of School Business Officials (NJASBO), New Jersey Education Association (NJEA), New Jersey Parent Teacher Association (NJPTA), New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association (NJPSA), New Jersey School Buildings and Grounds Association (NJSBGA) and The Sustainability Institute at The College of New Jersey.

A full list of the schools that have achieved Sustainable Jersey for Schools certification for 2017 is available online here.