Every school day in Washington state, one out of five people are in a school facility.

The High-Performance Public Buildings Act was signed into law in 2005. For school buildings, the goal of this law is to build high-performance schools that will improve student achievement and occupant comfort, reduce long-term costs, and preserve environmental resources.

• High-Performance Guidelines for School Districts (Word)
  This February 2008 report is three parts covering: Applicability and Responsibilities; Guidelines, D-Forms, Exemptions and Steps; Energy Report, Design Standards and Resources.

• High-Performance Schools Report (PDF)
  This 46-page PDF, presented to the Governor and Legislature in December 2008, provide a status report on the implementation of Chapter 39.35D RCW High-Performance Public Buildings for K-12 schools.

• Washington High Performance Green Schools Presentation (PDF) 

State-funded school construction projects are now required to incorporate high-performance features into their school design and construction. All major facility projects of public school districts receiving any funding in a state capital budget must be designed and constructed to at least the LEED silver standard or the Washington Sustainable School Protocol (WSSP).

The Washington Sustainable Schools Protocol (WSSP) is the tool developed to help school districts comply with the goals of the law. It is a planning tool that allows designers to plan a high-performance school while considering the regional, district, and site-specific possibilities and constraints for each project.