1. AKINS HIGH SCHOOL
ECO-AUDIT:
A STUDENT-LED ROADMAP TO A
GREENER, HEALTHIER SCHOOL
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
SPRING 2011
™

2. FACTS ABOUT AKINS
• 2700 STUDENTS
• 80 ACRES
• BUILT IN 2000
• STUDENT-TO-TEACHER RATIO OF 16:1
DIVERSITY
• 69% LATINO/HISPANIC
• 17% CAUCASIAN
• 11% AFRICAN-AMERICAN
• 3% OTHER
STUDENTS ARE EXPOSED TO
CAREER PATHWAYS BY ENROLLING
IN ONE OF FOLLOWING ACADEMIES:
• ABLE (ACADEMY OF BUSINESS AND
LEGAL ENTERPRISE)
• AHA (ARTS AND HUMANITIES ACADEMY)
• SS (SOCIAL SERVICES)
• ACES (AGRICULTURE, COMPUTER, AND
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES)
• NTHS (NEW TECH HIGH SCHOOL)
• T-STEM (TEXAS SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY,
ENGINEERING AND MATHEMATICS)
AKINS MISSION STATEMENT
The W. Charles Akins High School community educates every student to be self
sufficient, strengthens every student to face challenges of mind and heart, and
nurtures every student to become a lifelong learner in a diverse world.
WHO IS AKINS?

3. IMPROVE
PERFORMANCE
INCREASE TEACHER
RETENTION AND
PRODUCTIVITY
SAVE MONEY
PROMOTE HEALTH
• Lower energy and water costs, improved teacher retention,
and lower health costs directly save green schools about $12
per square foot, four times the additional cost of going green.
Financial savings to the broader community are significantly
larger, and include lower air and water pollution, and a better
educated and compensated workforce.
• Green schools use daylighting strategies to create
environments that lessen distractions and encourage
student participation. Students in classrooms with
abundant daylight had up to 25 percent higher learning
rates and test scores in reading and math than their
peers in rooms with less natural light.
• Schools with environmental education programs
increase critical thinking skills and score higher on
standardized tests in math, reading, writing and
listening. Teachers can use the building as the basis
for project-based, experiential learning and STEM
education.
• Studies show that green schools reduce teacher
turnover rates by 3% and increase productivity by
3%.
• Students in America miss approximately 14 million
school days per year because of asthma, which is
exacerbated by poor indoor air quality.
• Lower-income and minority children disproportionately suffer
from poor indoor air quality and related problems in conventional
schools. They are 30-50% more likely to have respiratory
problems that lead to increased absenteeism and diminished
learning and test scores.
• Nurses at green schools report fewer clinic visits, students
note less eye-nose-throat irritation and fewer asthma-related
incidents.
WHY GREEN SCHOOLS?
20% of America’s population spends about six hours a day in a school building.
DID YOU KNOW?
If all new U.S. school construction and renovation went green today, the total energy
savings alone would be $20 billionover the next 10 years.
Green school buildings:
SAVE
30% of energy costs
50% - 90% of waste-removal costs
REDUCE
35% of carbon emissions
30% - 50% of water usage

4. HOW GREEN ARE WE?
ENERGY
ELECTRICITY
FACTS
3,850,000
ANNUAL KW/HRS
$323,000
SPENT ANNUALLY
WHAT ARE
WE DOING RIGHT?
The A/C is kept off when
classes are not in session,
and the new T-STEM
building reduces energy
costs by 24%.
THAT MONEY
COULD BUY
646
LAPTOPS
FOR OUR
SCHOOL
THAT ENERGY
COULD POWER
THE COWBOYS
STADIUM FOR
45
DAYS STRAIGHT
THAT ENERGY COULD
PROVIDE A YEAR OF
POWER TO A VILLAGE OF
1400
PEOPLE
DID YOU KNOW?
As much as 25% of building energy
is wasted. Plug load can account for
as much as 20% of the power load in
schools.

5. HOW GREEN ARE WE?
WASTE
WASTE
FACTS
AKINS PRODUCES
409,600 CUBIC
FEET OF LANDFILL
WASTE PER YEAR
WHAT ARE
WE DOING RIGHT?
Akins ranks #2 for high
schools in the Texas
Disposable Systems Green
Solution Challenge.
THAT’S ENOUGH TO FILL
1317 DUMP
TRUCKS
DID YOU KNOW?
In the U.S., 1600 lbs of trash per
year is created by the average
person. Only 30% is recycled.
10 FEET
HIGH
THAT COULD FILL A
FOOTBALL FIELD
THAT WOULD
OVERFLOW
BARTON
SPRINGS
POOL

6. HOW GREEN ARE WE?
GREEN SPACES
FACTS
AKINS HAS
29 ACRES OR
1,263,240 SQ. FT.
OF UNUSED LAND WHAT ARE
WE DOING RIGHT?
Akins has a nice courtyard with some
seating, shade, and general gathering
purposes.
GREEN SPACES
DID YOU KNOW?
Americans spend 90% of their time
indoors. Youth average over 7 hours
a day using entertainment media,
yet they average only 30 minutes of
unstructured play time outdoors per
week.
IF THIS LAND
WAS USED TO GROW
PRODUCE, IN ONE YEAR
IT WOULD YIELD ENOUGH
VEGGIES TO FEED
631 FAMILIES
OF FOUR
THAT PRODUCE COULD FEED
FOR A YEAR
2526 STUDENTS
FOR A YEAR
THAT PRODUCE COULD
PROVIDE FOOD FOR
73% OF
AUSTIN’S
HOMELESS

7. AKINS HIGH SCHOOL
AERIAL VIEW
3,850,000
KW/HRS /YR
$323,000/YR
16,900 BUS MILES/
YR
270
STUDENTS
WITH
ASTHMA
WRAP-UP
10,695,367
KGAL /YR
$46,082/YR
8,120,578
KGAL /YR OF
SEWAGE
29.8
TONS OF
PLASTIC FOOD
WASTE/YR
29 ACRES OF
UNUSED GREEN
SPACE

8. We would like to see the school create an ENVIRONMENTAL
SERVICE elective that enrolls students to maintain and care
for these new systems, as well as further their knowledge and
experience of working with the cutting edge environmental design
that gives them hands on experience for GREEN-COLLAR jobs.
WASTE
DECREASED
BY 40%
REDUCE SOLO
DRIVERS
FROM 35% TO
10%
DEVELOP 20% OF
CAMPUS INTO
UTILIZED GREEN
SPACES
OUR 5 YEAR VISION
ENERGY
USE
REDUCED
BY 24%
WATER USE
REDUCED
BY 30%
100% OF
FOOD WASTE
COMPOSTED
15% OF
CAFETERIA
FOOD SOURCED
FROM LOCAL
FARMS
REDUCED
VOC LEVELS
FROM
CLEANING
SUPPLIES BY
80%
Being an environmental leader means you make it
known that CHANGE is POSSIBLE, you just
need to work to make it happen.
Nyssa, 17
“
“

9. Adequate levels of daylight can SAVE ENERGY AND
ENHANCE LEARNING CONDITIONS. Adding
remote sensors, individual controls and task lighting can greatly
reduce electricity costs.
POTENTIAL SOLUTION:
INCREASED SOLAR SHADING
Solution Ideas What difference
does it make?
Cost Maintenance
Required
Action
Required
Are We
Excited?
Admin /Students / External
ENERGY
Energy Education
campaign
Allows others to
become mindful of
their use of energy
and participate in
reducing Akins energy
consumption
LOW LOW
LOW
HIGH
HIGH HIGH
MED
MED
MED
MED MED MED
Drastically reduces
the KWH consumed
by the school =
annual savings
Off sets energy
consumption
and creates a new
natural resource
learning environment
for students
Reduces heating and
cooling costs
Change all the light
bulbs to T5 energy
saving bulbs
Install solar panels
Install sun shades
on most exposed
windows
Admin & Students
Admin
Admin & External
Admin & External
NOTE: LOW COST < $1000 MED COST = $1000 - $5000 HIGH COST > $5000
ENERGY

10. Low-flow sinks, waterless urinals and dual-flush toilets REDUCE
TOTAL WATER USE BY AS MUCH AS 50%. Toilets that
useharvestedrainwaterinsteadofpotable water help ease the strain on
municipal water systems.
POTENTIAL SOLUTION:
RAINWATER CATCHMENT SYSTEM
Solution Ideas What difference
does it make?
Cost Maintenance
Required
Action
Required
Are We
Excited?
Admin /Students / External
WATER
Water Education
campaign
Installing Low
flow toilets,
urinals and sinks
Installing Rain
Catchment systems
Allows others to
become mindful
of their use of water
and participate in
conserving Akins
water use
Reduces water
use by 30%
Collect and saves
water for outdoor
and greenhouse
irrigation use
Creating Gray
Water/Wet lands
environment
Reduces the amount
of waste water
created by the
campus, saves Akins
Money and creates
a new ecological
systems learning
environment.
Admin & Students
Admin & External
Admin & Students
& External
Admin & Students
& External
LOW LOW
LOW
HIGH
HIGH
HIGH
HIGHMED
MED
MED
HIGH
LOW
NOTE: LOW COST < $1000 MED COST = $1000 - $5000 HIGH COST > $5000
WATER

11. HARDMEDIUMEASY
time
cost
Install a Salad Bar •
Utilize Biodegradable Plates •
Food Production Campaign •
Connecting with Local Farmers •
Install Solar Panels •
Energy Education Campaign •
Utilize T5 Energy Saving Bulbs •
Install Sun Shades on Exposed Windows •
Outdoor Structures, Gazebo •
Install Gardens •
Dance Floor Power Generator •
Plant Orchard •
Recycling bins in Courtyard •
Install a Compost System in Cafeteria •
Classroom Paper Recycling Every 6 Weeks •
Electronics Recycling Collection Points •
Water Education Campaign •
Install Low-Flow Toilets, Urinals, Sinks •
Install Rain Catchment System •
Create Gray Water/ Wetlands Environment •
Carpool Campaign •
Carpool Incentives •
Bike-to-School Campaign •
Alternative Fuel Buses •
Utilize Non-Toxic Cleaning Supplies •
Install Indoor Plants •
MASTERPLAN: SOLUTIONS/IMPLEMENTATION
WHAT CAN WE DO?
5 YEAR MASTER PLAN

12. IN 2007, OVER $35 BILLION
TAX DOLLARS WERE SPENT
ON K-12 CONSTRUCTION.
IT’S THE LARGEST CONSTRUCTION SECTOR OF
THE ECONOMY.
The average green school saves $100,000 per year on oper-
ating costs. That’s enough to:
• Hire 2 NEW TEACHERS
• Buy 200 NEW COMPUTERS
• Purchase 5000 TEXTBOOKS
If all new U.S. school construction and renovation went green
today, the total energy savings alone would be
$20 BILLION OVER THE NEXT 10 YEARS.
GREEN INVESTMENT
GREEN SCHOOL COSTS:
$3/sq.ft. [or 2%] more than conventional schools
GREEN SCHOOL SAVINGS:
$7/sq.ft for an upgraded school
$70/sq.ft. including indirect savings for the school and community
THAT’S 20 TIMESAS HIGH AS
THE COST OF GOING GREEN!
NOT TO MENTION...
Green schools reduce teacher turnover rates, an expense which costs the nation’s
school districts at least $7.2 billion a year.
Green schools increase property values. According to 2005 survey, 87 percent of
school executives who have invested in green buildings report improved community
image as one of the top benefits of green schools. Well-regarded schools increase
property values and encourage business investment and job creation.
Students miss more than 14 million school days a year because of asthma
exacerbated by poor indoor air quality. This amount equals $1,650 per child — costs
borne not by the schools but by the students and their families. A recent study found
an average reduction of 38.5 percent in asthma in buildings with improved air quality.
School custodians, handling toxic cleaners on a daily basis, often suffer from chemical
injuries, costing about $25 million each year in workers’ compensation and lost time.

13. “I love what we are doing – taking the little
steps necessary for a big change. I mean,
Akins might be one school but it’s in a big
district. If we go green, maybe it would
INSPIRE other schools to go green too. And
we have almost 3,000 students. If we inspire
them to go green, that’s 3,000+ people
helping the environment. We are paying it
forward!”
-Shannon, 17
“Being an environmental leader
means you make it known that
CHANGE is possible, you just
need to work to make it happen.”
-Nyssa, 17
“You set the groundwork and
motivate people to follow in your
path. An environmental LEADER
speaks up when they see a bottle
being thrown in the trash and
when change can be made.”
-Rebecca, 18
“Being an environmental leader
makes me feel powerful – like
anything is possible. I just took
part in saving the world with my
IDEAS. Sweetness!”
-Henry, 19
“I want to help inform others of the
great things they can do to help
the environment. If we all do a little
bit, then altogether, we can do
something BIG! I definitely want to
teach my kids (when I have them) to
help the environment.”
~Karla, 18
“I’d really love to make an impact
on a global scale by changing the
way people look at GLOBAL
problems. I’d like to make people
all over the world consider the
“green” way of lifestyle through
education.”
-Yuliya, 16
INSPIRATIONAL LEADERSHIP
VOICES
- OF THE -
FUTURE