Environmentally friendly schools to be norm in Beach

Posted to: Education News Virginia Beach

By Lauren Roth
The Virginian-Pilot
© January 7, 2009

VIRGINIA BEACH

Environmentally friendly buildings like Hermitage Elementary School will be the norm from now on. Buildings constructed for the city’s public schools will meet “green” standards, the School Board was told Tuesday.

That includes the three schools under construction: Virginia Beach Middle School, the Renaissance Academy and Windsor Oaks Elementary. They’ll use energy-saving technologies, recycle materials and cost less to run over time, school administration staff told the board.

Also Tuesday, the School Board re-elected Dan Edwards as chair and Rita Sweet Bellitto as vice chair for the 2009 calendar year. Edwards was first elected chair in 1999. Bellitto has been vice chair since 2006.

The board rescheduled its next meeting from Tuesday, Jan. 20, to Thursday, Jan. 22, to allow members to attend presidential inauguration events. The board plans to vote at that meeting whether to close year-round programs at four elementaries by the end of the 2011-12 school year.

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