Our schools rely on the efforts performed by many supporting departments. Below are some of those operational departments and highlights of their efforts to promote our students' wellbeing and the organization's sustainability. Our individual departments work with the Office of Resource and Energy Conservation to evaluate their current practices and identify new processes to consider implementing

Facilities Maintenance

• Automated Building Systems manages the climate control systems in the school buildings to reduce heating and cooling during unpopulated times.
• Automated lighting sensors have been installed in several of our schools to reduce lighting in unpopulated areas.
• Custodial services department utilizes a green cleaning program.
• Environmental services department tests and monitors all the well water for all of the schools on well water.

Food and Nutrition

• All our kitchens and cafeterias practice single stream recycling.
• All kitchens are practicing single stream recycling through the kitchen.
• Solid surface reusable trays are the standard when dish washers are in place and operational, program, and staffing levels permit use.
• The CEO at Swan Creek does not have a dishwasher and is using 100% disposable materials.
• Harford Tech utilizes disposable trays for students sitting outside the dining room (the gallery).
• Schools will switch to disposables when dish washer is not operatable and/or there is not enough staff to cover this position - this typically occurs in elementary schools since we also have staff out in the dining room wiping tables.
• Disposable trays are compostable cardboard/paper due to the passing of Maryland legislation banning Styrofoam.
• Reusable Perma ware silverware is used primarily in elementary schools, the cost is too expensive in secondary schools due to waste and disposable cutlery is used instead.
• Our kitchens serve daily student lunches on solid surface reusable trays and utensils to avoid the use of Styrofoam and reduce landfill waste.

Planning and Construction

Many of our new schools are equipped with energy saving technologies to reduce consumption and have a lower environmental impact. Some of these technologies include:

• Automated lighting controls
• Geothermal heating
• High speed hand dryers
• LED lighting
• Natural day lighting
• Occupancy sensors
• Reduced flow restroom fixtures
• Variable speed drives on air handling motors

Procurement

• Procurement will work with the Facilities to ensure vendors are providing products that are environmentally sensitive and meets standards established by agencies such as Green Seal, CRI Green Label, Eco Logo Environmental Choice, Energy Star, etc. where appropriate.
• Single stream recycling has been incorporated into the refuse disposal contract as well as composting at several schools throughout the district.
• When purchasing office supplies, environmentally friendly products are indicated by "eco-conscious" or "recycled content" labels.
• When Request for Proposals(RFP) are issued, proposers are asked to submit a Sustainability Statement which indicates their corporate commitment to sustain, when applicable.

Technology

• Consolidation of servers to save on energy, maintenance, and replacement costs.
• Virtualization of servers to save on energy, maintenance, and replacement costs.
• CRT monitors were replaced with more energy efficient LCD models.

Transportation

• Consolidation of bus routes to minimize trip distance.
• Current Board policy and procedure requires the use of efficient bus stops to minimize total mileage. Secondary students utilize consolidated bus stops that allow for the greatest number of students to be collected at entrances to reduce total miles and magnet students currently utilize depot stops.
• No Idling, procedures requiring vehicles be turned off during extended stopping peridos. Drivers are trained to ensure that idle time is no more than five minutes unless otherwise permitted for safety concerns.

Steering Committee

Members of the Steering Committee include a representative from each of the following entities:

• Aberdeen High School
• BGE
• Harford Community College
• Harford County Government
• HCPS Office of Budget
• HCPS Office of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment
• HCPS Office of Facilities
• HCPS Office of Science
• Harford Glen Environmental Center
• Southampton Middle School
• Youth's Benefit Elementary School PTA