Tomorrow, Austin ISD will celebrate its firstgreen building being recognized by two leading organizations in sustainability efforts. Janis Guerrero Thompson Elementary School is receiving certification through both the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and Austin Energy’s Green Building programs.

Who: Representatives from the district, including board of trustee member Ann Teich, the project team and the school’s faculty and students will unveil the LEED Silver plaque and conduct a tour of the school’s sustainable features. 

When: 9:15 a.m., Wednesday, Jan. 28

Tour begins at 9:30 a.m., following a brief program

Where: Guerrero Thompson Elementary School, 102 E. Rundberg Lane

Background: Guerrero Thompson Elementary School is the eighth new school to be built through the 2004 Bond Program. As part of the voter-approved bond, funds in each construction project were committed specifically for environmental and energy-saving measures. Opened in fall 2013, the 78,500-square-feet elementary school was built to help relieve overcrowding in the north central area of the district.

LEED is a green building certification program that recognizes best-in-class building strategies and practices. To receive LEED certification, building projects satisfy prerequisites and earn points to achieve different levels of certification. Prerequisites and credits differ for each rating system, and teams choose the best fit for their project.