Madison, WI, July 1, 2010 – Kelly Creek Elementary School, part of the Gresham-Barlow School district in Gresham, Oregon, has officially received LEED®-EB: O&M 2009 (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance version 2009) Silver Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).  Kelly Creek Elementary  is the first LEED-EB certified school in the State of Oregon (under any version of LEED-EB) and the first LEED-EB v2009 school to be certified anywhere in the world.  This certification recognizes that Kelly Creek Elementary has implemented continuous sustainability improvement measures guided by LEED-EB.  Leonardo Academy was the LEED consultant for this project supporting the successful achievement of Silver Certification.

Kelly Creek Elementary’s green makeover and LEED certification were made possible by the Ford Motor Company.  In 2008, Ford sponsored the Educate to Escape Contest, a nationwide contest that awarded one K-12 school with the grand prize of an eco-friendly makeover.  Kelly Creek Elementary School was chosen as the grand prize winner and, as the contest prize, received a number of green upgrades and assistance from Leonardo Academy with LEED-EB implementation and certification.

With assistance from Ford, the school took many green actions that contributed toward earning LEED Silver Certification:

• Replaced water closets with low-flow, dual flush fixtures, installed aerators on all faucets, and installed low-flow urinals, resulting in 5 LEED points and a 38% reduction in water use for a total annual savings of 162,327 gallons (approximately 18 tanker trucks of water!)
• Achieved an Energy Star rating of 91 points out of a possible 100, making them eligible for the Energy Star Label
• Tested and balanced the ventilation system to ensure compliance with ASHRAE 62.1-2007
• Documented reductions of 206 metric tons of CO2 equivalent emissions through Leonardo Academy’s Cleaner & Greener Program
• Implemented a green cleaning program mandating the use of 100% green cleaning products in the building and on the grounds
• Installed playground equipment composed of recycled plastic and aluminum, surrounded by rubber tile matting created from recycled tires
• Installed eco-friendly whiteboards in all classrooms and offices and Marmoleum flooring in the school’s entryway

About Leonardo Academy
Leonardo Academy is a charitable nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing sustainability and environmental stewardship. We approach sustainability as the creative merging of environmental stewardship, social responsibility and economic prosperity that empowers doing well by doing good. We strive to make sustainability practical for everyone by utilizing an interdisciplinary approach to strategy development, implementation and education. Learn more about us at www.leonardoacademy.org. 

About Kelly Creek Elementary School
Kelly Creek Elementary School is a 60,055 square foot, single story building built in 1993 in Gresham, Oregon, just outside of Portland.  The school has 62 faculty and staff members, and an average of 525 students per year attending kindergarten through fifth grade.  With a strong commitment to recycling and reduced energy consumption already in place, the school applied for and was awarded the grand prize in Ford Motor Company’s Educate to Escape Contest in April of 2008.  A portion of the winnings from that contest were dedicated to implementing the policies and practices necessary to earn LEED-EB certification.  To learn more about Kelly Creek Elementary School and the Gresham-Barlow School District visit www.gresham.k12.or.us.

About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Michigan, manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 176,000 employees and about 80 plants worldwide, the company’s automotive brands include Ford, Lincoln and Mercury, production of which has been announced by the company to be ending in the fourth quarter of 2010, and, until its sale, Volvo. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford’s products, please visit www.ford.com.

The LEED Green Building Rating System™ is a voluntary, consensus-based national standard for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings. LEED-EB is a USGBC-sponsored program for owners who address sustainable operations and maintenance for existing buildings. The USGBC is the nation’s leading coalition of corporations, builders, universities, government agencies and nonprofit organizations working together to promote buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy places to live and work.  For additional information about the USGBC visit www.usgbc.org.

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Contact Information
Kara Edmonson, Senior LEED Project Manager
Leonardo Academy Inc.
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(608) 280-0255

Amber Seffrood, LEED Project Manager
Leonardo Academy Inc.
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(608) 280-0255