Sustainability Plan

D65 fosters social and ecological well-being through transformational policies, practices and an actionable plan. By promoting ethical decision-making regarding air, land, water and all living beings within our community, we aim to cultivate learning environments that encourage living in just and healthy ways for our students, staff, families and generations to come.

Aligned with D65 Equity Policy, equitable sustainability means a commitment to justice-based environmental sustainability that intentionally connects to students’ communities and uplifts marginalized voices while grounding in optimism, joy, community, cultural assets and histories and futures of places. 

Rather than encouraging students to gaze at suffering, equitable sustainability emphasizes working together  to define social and ecological issues in ways that dream toward justice—critiquing systems of exploitation, averting despair, and inspiring us to imagine and build economic and social relations that are more just and healthy for all.

This approach encompasses both the management of buildings, grounds, and transportation systems to be energy-efficient, healthy, accessible, and the integration of sustainability and climate justice-focused teaching and learning within the curriculum. It promotes long-term ecological health, climate resilience, and equal access to high-quality, sustainability-focused education, empowering all students to become informed, proactive stewards of our environments. 

Equitable sustainability will be referenced as sustainability throughout this plan.

Each of these four categories has its own section, which can be viewed below on this page.

Leadership
Transformation of policies, practices and ways of living and relating that support social and ecological well-being. Empower everyone in our school community to see their role in this work. Alignment to D65 Strategic Goal 3, 4 and 5.

Learning
Engage our students, staff and community partners in ways of learning how to live differently, ethical decision making, and meaningful change making in relation to land, waters and people. Alignment to D65 Strategic Goal 1 and 3.

Operations
Balance of people, ecological and economic priorities in all decisions resulting in measurable positive outcomes. Alignment to D65 Strategic Goal 2, 4 and 5.

Equity
Commitment to equity and creating more just schools for our students, staff and community. Alignment to D65 Strategic Goal 1 and 5.

Health
Provide healthy learning environments that support the wellbeing of our students and staff. Alignment to D65 Strategic Goal 4 and 5.

Community
​​​​​​​Opportunity for our schools to partner with families and community based organizations to bring this plan to life. We are all in this together. Alignment to D65 Strategic Goal 1 and 4.

District 65 organized a 40+ member working group to help to develop the first sustainability plan. The working group consists of a variety of stakeholders including D65 and D202 staff and students, City of Evanston and Village of Skokie employees, D65 caregivers and members of multiple local community based organizations.

Starting in October 2024, our working group developed our Vision, Guiding Principles, and Categories of Focus with the following in each Category:

• Goals: Monitored regularly and annually reporting progress. 
• Recommended Strategies: Recommendations and potential pathways based on our best thinking during the plan development on how to make progress towards the goal. These strategies may change over time as new learning, technologies and opportunities become available. 
• Indicators / Measures of Progress: Ways we envision measuring our progress towards achieving our goals. 
• Our Progress so far: Communicates the work District 65 has achieved so far as we look towards achieving our goals. 
• Partnering with Community: Identifies opportunities for partnership & collaboration with families, community based organizations and volunteerism. These partners may change and expand over time as we make progress towards achieving our goals. 

District 65 will uphold its commitment to students and future generations by using this plan to guide decisions when economically and practically feasible.

Learn More: District 65 Quick Facts

District 65 commits to annually reporting towards our Sustainability Goals using a Progress Dashboard, along with completing periodic reviews and updates.

Acknowledging that we live, learn and work on the traditional territories of the Kickapoo, Peoria, Potawatomi, Myaamia, Ho-Chunk and Ochethi Sakowin peoples (resource: native-land.ca).

Dear District 65 Community - 

It is with great enthusiasm that I share our first D65 Sustainability Plan, which serves as a holistic, district-wide, and enduring commitment to addressing climate change. Every decision we make is with our students — current and future — at the heart. That is why we are committing to transforming our policies, practices and daily actions to ensure a healthy and just future for our students, staff, families and generations to come.

This transformation will take a team effort. Small changes like composting, recycling and turning off the lights matter. System-wide endeavors like adopting this Sustainability Plan for our school district matters. Together, our students, staff and school community have the power to make a real difference, not just by learning about sustainability and climate justice but by stepping up and engaging in meaningful changemaking right here in our schools and community. 

About the Plan
This plan is the product of six months of dedicated work. I want to publicly express my gratitude to the 20+ staff, students, caregivers and community members who worked collaboratively and tirelessly to formulate this plan.

One element I’m especially excited about is our commitment to Teaching & Learning — in particular our goal that by 2040, all students will engage in learning that authentically integrates sustainability education across multiple content areas. Additionally, I’m excited that we’re making improvements towards Healthy Environments in our schools by integrating sustainability standards into future building renovations and new construction. 

Why This Matters
We know climate change does not affect all people equally. Some communities experience disproportionate impacts because of existing vulnerabilities, historical patterns of inequity, and systemic injustices like redlining. We have made an intentional effort to center Climate Justice in our plan, to ensure that everyone — especially communities that face the greatest burdens — have equal access to healthy environments. 

This work is both serious and joyful. I love seeing students inspired with wonder and experiencing the joy of our outdoor learning gardens. By embracing sustainability, we’re helping our students create a world that’s healthier and more just.

We will be updating our community regularly on our progress toward these commitments. To learn more, visit our D65 Sustainability webpage. Thank you for your continued partnership.

Dr. Angel Turner (she/her)
Superintendent

Environmental efforts in D65 were initially driven by individuals and small groups at various schools through green teams and garden clubs. Bessie Rhodes Magnet School had a strong green team for many years and launched the first lunchroom composting program. The school introduced numerous initiatives, including share tables, classroom recycling, anti-idling campaigns, and zero waste school events. Becky Brodsky, the Green Team Chair, advocated to the district for years that these initiatives be implemented districtwide. 

In 2017, Becky joined forces with Marie Cabiya, Beth Flintoft, Bea Echevarria, and Sylvia Wooller, who were working independently in their schools to drive green initiatives forward. They began to meet regularly and realized the potential for a more coordinated effort across the district. They formed D65 Climate Action Teams which brought together representatives from a majority of schools in the district. For years, they met monthly to share ideas, resources, and strategies. Their primary goal was for the district to align its practices and priorities to Evanston’s Climate Action and Resilience Plan.

They connected with PTAs at each school, built relationships with 3 different superintendents, and met with Mayors Hagerty and Biss to discuss how D65 could better align with Evanston’s commitment to climate action. The group attended many School Board & PTA meetings, met with various staff & Assistant Superintendents, and advocated for climate-related policies at City Council meetings. Their efforts also extended to collaborating with Northwestern University (NU) and taking part in the City’s Climate Action and Resilience Plan (CARP) discussions.

Key accomplishments during this period include implementing composting, recycling, and share tables in a majority of school cafeterias, the D65 10 Second Film Festival, environmental education during Earth Week, increased green spaces to support biodiversity and outdoor learning, and end-of-year locker cleanouts at several schools. Thanks to District 65 Climate Action Team’s ongoing advocacy efforts, the District agreed to hire a Sustainability Coordinator in 2022.

Special shout out to our Chute Green STEAM Club, Nichols Climate Club and Garden Club, Haven Club Tree’d and Dewey’s Roots & Shoots club for 3-5th graders led for over 25 years by dedicated D65 Educators.

Gratefully acknowledging the many dedicated staff, students, caregivers, PTAs and community members instrumental in District 65 sustainability and school garden initiatives over the years. 

1. PreK-8 Sustainability and Climate Change Education

D65 educators will be provided with well-integrated, standards-aligned curricular materials and professional learning and all D65 students engage in learning that authentically integrates equitable sustainability education including routine outdoor learning opportunities intended to cultivate living in just and healthy ways across multiple content areas by 2040.

1. Teaching & Learning collaborates with partners to define equitable sustainability education and identifies opportunities within the current instructional materials by 25-26 school year. 
2. Teaching & Learning develops educator professional learning to support the design and integration of sustainability and climate change education into the curriculum in at least one content area per grade PreK-8 by 2035 (with an average of 1 grade level designed per year (already underway)).
   1. Develop and integrate instruction on climate change into the curriculum in at least one grade in elementary schools and one grade in middle schools by 26-27 school year (i.e., House Bill 4895). 
   2. Ensure alignment of D65 Science Curriculum with sustainability-focused Illinois Learning Standards for science, i.e., Next Generation Science Standards (e.g., adoption of high quality K-2 science instructional materials) by 2027.
   3. In the screening and adoption process for new instructional materials, include criteria around sustainability learning. 
3. Develop and implement curriculum-based professional learning to support D65 educators across all grades in effectively implementing equitable sustainability education integrated into D65 curricula by 2036 (with an average of 1 grade level rolled out per year (already underway)).

2. Staff Learning on D65 Sustainability Programs

Integrate and maintain sustainability education in staff training for all D65 staff (educators and district staff) by 2030.

3. Changemaking Opportunities

1. 100% of schools host at least 1 annual sustainability effort for students to participate in a meaningful changemaking initiative (e.g., Earth Month) by 2030. 
2. Each grade band (PreK, K-2, 3-5, 6-8) will annually take action by engaging in student-led, meaningful cross-content changemaking efforts toward sustainability solutions in our community (e.g., 7th grade Collective Action for Climate Justice) by 2040.
   1. Teaching & Learning develops educator professional learning to support the design and integration of standards-aligned opportunities for changemaking into the district curriculum in each grade band (PreK, K-2, 3-5, 6-8) by 2035.
   2. Develop and implement professional learning by 2040 to ensure D65 educators in each grade band (PreK, K-2, 3-5, 6-8) are effectively prepared to guide students to engage in authentic, student-led changemaking efforts.

1. PreK-8 Sustainability and Climate Change Education

1. Cross-disciplinary student learning, including but not limited to content areas: science, math, literacy, social sciences, Fine Arts, P.E., etc
   1. Develop integrated and vertically aligned sustainability learning experiences for students in PreK-8 across multiple content areas, including leveraging the Learning in Places frameworks and the utilization of outdoor learning spaces.
   2. Research additional opportunities for a cross-disciplinary approach in grades K-5  by using high-quality instructional materials to teach across content areas.
      1. Take a balanced and nuanced approach to cross-disciplinary learning that integrates the arts and gives equal time to humanities/social sciences and the natural sciences. 
   3. Provide students at least one sustainability field trip at each grade band.
      1. Field Trips should be a diverse selection of locations and different parts of nature and promote deeper learning of units of study.
2. Compliance with Illinois House Bill 4895 for 26-27 school year.
   1. Confirmed compliance for Middle Schools and King Arts in the 23-24 school year when District 65 added an OpenSciEd Unit 7.6 Earth’s Resources and Human Impact (9-10 weeks) into our Middle School Scope and Sequence.
   2. For elementary schools, engaging with PhD Science to understand compliance towards the House Bill. 
   3. State code does not apply to PreK as this is not a required grade. 
3. Teaching & Learning team collaborates to identify cross disciplinary sustainability learning opportunities at each grade level. 
   1. Adjust unit pacing as needed to allow for deeper learning (e.g., routine outdoor learning experiences) and opportunities for changemaking aligned with Goal #3. 
4. Provide for students experiences that promote sustainability careers.
   1. Collective Action for Climate Justice project in middle school.
   2. Family and community members sharing about their jobs.
   3. Exposure to careers through field trips.
   4. Sustainability built into careers (e.g. architecture safe for migrating birds).
5. Develop middle school “climate action” electives. 
6. Incorporate existing school-level sustainability practices (i.e., composting in the lunchroom) as part of the culture and relationship building activities at the start of a school year. 
7. Develop Sustainability Learning Hubs at all schools (bulletin board / flyers of resources / D65 sustainability website QR code) and leverage displaying information on TVs in the schools. 
8. Leverage the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) by carrying out its vision and uplifting aspects that lead to a deep appreciation of the natural world. 
   1. Identify where sustainability education will be integrated into district-adopted curriculum units to enhance mastery of the Illinois Learning Standards at each grade level across all subject areas.
   2. Prioritize sustainability and routine outdoor learning instruction embedded into the storyline of lessons as criteria for determining adoption of  instructional materials. 
9. Prioritize and increase time for science instruction in elementary and middle school. Leverage science inquiry to build knowledge and develop literacy/math skills.
10. Align with learning opportunities identified as recommended strategies in this plan for Healthy Environments, Sustainable Operations and Transportation & Mobility. 
11. Review curricular resources as well as work tasks to identify timing and opportunities for sustainability professional learning for D65 educators. 
12. Develop and implement professional learning for educators across content areas to support quality implementation of sustainability learning experiences integrated in curriculum.
13. Professional development for staff to help address student climate anxiety.

2. Staff Learning on D65 Sustainability Programs

1. Present all new staff (employees) with the D65 sustainability plan and website as part of their onboarding process, in partnership with HR. 
   1. Train current staff on these materials once adopted.
   2. Identify sustainability learning and practices by staff role to include in onboarding (i.e., green cleaning and composting).
2. Design trainings to align to specific work tasks that impact sustainability programs (i.e., lunch monitors, custodians, etc.), including potential GCN training modules in partnership with HR.
3. Engage with the Joint Staff Development Committee to incorporate staff sustainability learning opportunities starting in 25-26 school year. 
4. Regularly integrate into School Leader Collaboratives and School Staff Meetings sustainability goals and practices. 
5. Establish a School Sustainability Leadership Network (leverage school based sustainability leads) to inform and enhance district-wide communications and programs. 
6. Explore and engage in sustainability learning through outside partners.
7. Promote discussions, seminars and learning opportunities regarding sustainability (i.e., climate anxiety, All We Can Save discussion circles, ecochallenge virtual engagement platform) to support staff. 

3. Changemaking Opportunities

1. Annually engage students and the school community in D65 Earth Month activities. Emphasis on authentic, school-wide, cross-content area engagement.
2. Give students meaningful opportunities during the school day and extracurricular activities to join in equitable sustainability changemaking opportunities to support local and global sustainability efforts. 
   1. Develop and promote student leadership opportunities during the school day (e.g. cafeteria coaches at lunchroom waste stations, classroom recycling job, etc).
   2. Seek out student voices to identify and guide changemaking opportunities.
   3. Emphasis on solutions while acknowledging climate anxiety when supporting student changemaking actions.
   4. Intentional to understand the history and systemic impacts of climate change on minoritized populations. 
   5. Promote examples of youth climate activists across the world.
   6. Partner with families and community members to bring in varied viewpoints and expertise to help inform and shape student action. 
   7. Encourage and promote climate and sustainability focused clubs including school garden clubs at every school.
3. Develop and implement professional learning for educators across content areas to support quality implementation of actionable, changemaking opportunities. 
4. Professional development for staff to help address and support student climate anxiety during changemaking efforts.
5. Student government adds “sustainability” as an area of focus with annual activities. 
6. Continue hosting annual City of Evanston Recycling Truck: Student Art Design Competition with Middle Schoolers, in partnership with D65 Art Educators.
7. Connection with ETHS and communication to 8th Grade students on future changemaking opportunities and ETHS clubs to encourage students to continue positively contributing beyond District 65.

1. PreK-8 Sustainability and Climate Change Education

• Add sustainability questions to student Panorama survey
• % of D65 educators participate in an annual professional development on sustainability
• % of classrooms participating in outdoor place based learning and frequency
• District guidance on amount of time for science instruction is increased

2. Staff Learning on D65 Sustainability Programs

• % of staff members participating in sustainability professional learning 

3. Changemaking Opportunities

• # of groups/clubs focused on sustainability/climate change and gardens at our D65 schools and % of schools participating
• # K-5 & 6-8 building schools and % students participating in changemaking opportunities
• % students who continue in leadership groups (climate clubs, student government) post middle school

1. PreK-8 Sustainability and Climate Change Education

1. Starting in 2023, District 65 began our partnership with Learning in Places. The NGSS aligned instructional materials and frameworks are centered on outdoor learning, ecological caring, ethical decision making (wondering walks, civic engagement and changemaking), and family involvement. As of the 24-25 school year, we have 13 participating educators (5 returning educators, 8 new educators) in 7 schools. 
2. Climate Change Science Unit. In our 23-24 school year, District 65 added an OpenSciEd Unit 7.6 Earth’s Resources and Human Impact (9-10 weeks) into our Middle School Scope and Sequence. The unit is NGSS aligned and part of our high quality instructional materials used in all our middle schools. 
   1. Compliance with Illinois House Bill 4895 for all Middle Schools and King Arts in the 23-24 school year.
3. Long Term Vision. For particular units in our K-8 D65 Scope and Sequence, students will engage in an experience (that is authentically integrated into our curriculum and meaningfully connected to students’ communities) in which they apply and deepen their standards-aligned learning by investigating and contributing to meaningful changemaking on justice- and sustainability-related issues.
   1. Grounded in optimism, joy, and community and cultural assets
   2. Focused on histories and futures of places (updated graphic)
4. Member of Evanston Public Library Blueberry Award book list curated for young readers boosting love of nature and climate action.
5. D65 librarians engaging all students in grades K-1 reading five book contenders for the Evanston Public Library Blueberry Award and students voting on their favorite, started during the 24-25 school year. 

2. Staff Learning on D65 Sustainability Programs

1. Sustainability presentations during School Leader Collaboratives, including New School Leader Orientation and Revitalization Week. 
2. Established school based sustainability leads (D65 staff point person) for sustainability at our schools in 24-25 school year. 

3. Changemaking Opportunities

1. Collective Action for Climate Justice. In the Summer 2024, our D65 Science Team hosted a summer project focused on developing a refreshed 7th Grade Climate Action Project aligned to Unit 7.6 with a team of 7th Grade D65 Educators. We're excited to support our D65 Educators as they roll out this new "Collective Action for Climate Justice" project in the 7th Grade district-wide in the 24-25 school year. 
2. Climate Clubs at our D65 schools (3 clubs as of 24-25 school year).
3. Host Earth Month activities at our D65 schools.
4. Host annual City of Evanston Recycling Truck: Student Art Design Competition with Middle Schoolers.

1. Health and Wellness

District 65 develops a district-wide comprehensive Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Management Plan by 2030 and has a concrete plan for ongoing monitoring and implementing strategies for student and staff wellness. 

2. Facility Performance

Through future renovations (min 1000 sq.ft. gross floor area) and new construction, any District buildings will meet the LEED silver design specifications minimally and site energy use intensity (EUI) targets of: 

1. New construction and renovations site EUI target of less than 25 kBtu/sq.ft.
2. Reduce existing building site EUI to 45 kBtu/sq.ft. by 2050

3. Outdoor Environments (outdoor learning spaces & nature playgrounds)

New outdoor learning spaces are co-designed with students, staff and community at each school that are accessible and representative of the native local ecosystems (rain, shade, edible food, pollinator, trees, etc.). Outdoor learning spaces are supported and maintained through collaboration with staff (school/district), PTAs and community partners at each campus.

1. Health and Wellness

1. Develop a comprehensive plan for indoor air quality assessment using School District Indoor Air Quality Management Plan Toolkit by US Center for Green Schools and roll-out district-wide with public facing dashboard to all schools to improve indoor air quality that includes ventilation and filtration rates, building inspections, continuous IAQ monitoring, asbestos management, mercury, radon, mold and moisture, cleaning and chemicals, pest management, and emergency response.  
2. Deliver staff training covering Indoor Air Quality Management Plan, including green cleaning, pest management, anti-idling, and more.
3. Utilize IAQ management plan for ongoing monitoring of indoor air quality environments taking into account outdoor air quality as it impacts indoor air quality. 
4. If a student is identified as having a health related risk through an IEP or 504, District provides family resources with suggestions for improving healthy home environments (air quality, chemical cleaning, etc) as a part of this process.
5. Leverage District communications capabilities to share pertinent information regarding local public health.
6. Continue to prohibit use of fertilizer or weed killer use on the District’s landscaping.

2. Facility Performance

1. Any District buildings that are new construction or renovations (minimum 1000 sq.ft. gross floor area) will meet the LEED silver design specifications minimally and site EUI targets.
2. Implement energy retrofits and building envelope improvements to reduce existing building site EUI to 45 kBtu/sq.ft when the goal does not sacrifice student health and air quality.
3. Develop a 10 year facility plan by 2030 and refresh the plan on a five year basis with a full redevelopment on a 10 year basis (tied to Health Life Safety).
4. District facility projects exceeding the minimum requirement to go to bid are required to obtain and consider at least one bid that advances facility performance goals.
5. Develop a decarbonization plan including audits for all buildings, aligned with the City of Evanston Healthy Building Ordinance.
   1. Achieve zero onsite fossil fuel combustion by 2050.
   2. All electric boilers, VRF, ground or air source heat pump, water heaters, kitchen equipment (no natural gas in our schools) by 2050. D65 will evaluate the available technologies and assess best equipment for each space.
6. Seek grant funding for incremental costs of electrification and construction of LEED green building sustainable design and site EUI targets.  
7. Complete electrical service evaluation to identify the capacity needed to prepare for electrification of D65 buildings.
8. Continue to install LEDs for new construction or renovations.
9. New construction projects to align with Illinois Commercial Stretch Code adopted by the City of Evanston, as applicable to public school districts. 
10. Continue evaluations for energy efficiency such as ComEd Carbon Free Assessments, ASHRAE Level 2 energy audit, etc. 

3. Outdoor Environments (outdoor learning spaces & nature playgrounds)

1. Outdoor learning gardens are designed using a co-design framework from Learning in Places “Designing Places for Outdoor Learning”. 
2. Seek community partnerships and grant opportunities to develop co-designed outdoor learning spaces.
3. Share best practices and success stories for outdoor learning gardens across D65 schools.
4. Define outdoor learning experience across content areas and grades that ensures all students have frequent access to Outdoor Learning Spaces.
5. Collaborate with the Teaching & Learning to develop curricular opportunities for student learning, including connections to edible food gardens at schools.
6. Support stewardship of edible food gardens and outdoor learning spaces at schools through collaboration with staff (school/district), PTAs and community partners at each campus.
7. Explore nature playgrounds as an alternative when replacing or installing new playground equipment. Consider recycling or donation of old equipment where feasible. 
8. Expansion of native plantings, shrubs and trees to improve biodiversity and stormwater management on school grounds. Identifying and targeting removal of invasive plant species. 
9. Continue utilizing our tree planting process and maps to plan for long term tree canopies to cool buildings, provide shade during warm weather and connection to outdoor learning spaces. 
10. Continue education and engagement with the D65 school community on Native Plantings Guidelines on D65 School Grounds.
11. Engagement with B&G and Landscaping Team on outdoor learning garden, tree and native plant maintenance. 

1. Health and Wellness

• Year when comprehensive Indoor Air Quality Management Plan is developed and adopted
• Ventilation Rates in buildings 
• Indoor Air Quality monitoring results

2. Facility Performance

• # new buildings / # renovations designed to LEED specifications, including design level achieved and if certified
• Site EUI (kBtu/sq.ft.) for new construction, renovations and existing buildings
• % equipment in buildings district-wide with electric vs natural gas
• % schools with LED lighting installed

3. Outdoor Environments (outdoor learning spaces & nature playgrounds)

• # co-designed outdoor learning spaces at each D65 school
• # native trees and shrubs planted on D65 school grounds 
• # nature playgrounds at each D65 school

1. Health and Wellness

1. D65 is a member of the Efficient and Healthy Schools Campaign, joined in September 2023.  
2. Uses Green Seal cleaning products and environmental friendly pest control products (as of Sept 2018).

2. Facility Performance

1. Foster School and Sustainability. Continued commitment towards the goal of LEED Silver Certification, operating as an all electric school above 10 degrees F, rooftop solar panels, EV charging stations and more. Planned Sustainability Features from 5th Ward School Design Open House on May 7, 2024.
2. Installed roof replacement materials that incorporate air and vapor barriers, which have a high level of thermal insulation and a 30-year warranty.
3. Installed energy efficient windows and exterior doors. 
4. LED lighting upgrades in all D65 schools, completed in summer 2022 and 2023.
5. Completing ComEd Public Schools Carbon-Free Assessment at all remaining schools during the 24-25 school year. Completed in 2023 at Chute, Haven, Nichols and Kingsley. 
6. Completing Nicor Gas Energy Efficiency Public Sector Assessment at all schools during the 24-25 school year. 

3. Outdoor Environments (outdoor learning spaces & nature playgrounds)

1. Foster School Outdoor Learning co-design with families, staff and community members during the 24-25 school year. 
2. Planted over 185 trees on D65 school grounds since 2018 (learn more) and numerous native plantings at D65 schools.
3. Developed Tree and Native Planting approval process for D65 schools in 22-23 school year and rolled out process improvements in 24-25 school year. 
4. Developed Native Planting Guidelines on D65 School Grounds, including maps of native planting areas and consistent signage across all D65 schools during 24-25 school year. 
5. Participating in Collective Resource Spring Compost Giveaway, offered to all D65 school gardens. All our schools are eligible for free finished compost since all our schools are composting in their lunchrooms. 
6. Prohibits use of fertilizer or weed killer use on the District’s landscaping.

1. Health and Wellness

• Erie Family Health or other local health organizations
• Green Schools National Network
• City of Evanston - Health Department
• Village of Skokie - Health Department
• IEA committee focused on indoor air quality

2. Facility Performance

• City of Evanston Sustainability Team
• Village of Skokie Sustainability Team
• Climate Action Evanston Energy Program

3. Outdoor Environments (outdoor learning spaces & nature playgrounds)

• Evanston Grows
• Climate Action Evanston Natural Habitat Evanston Program; Edible Evanston Program
• PTAs leading edible food gardens at schools and planting new native trees, shrubs and plants
• Schools are Gardening in Evanston (SAGE)
• Learning in Places
• Northwestern Kellogg School - Kellogg Cares Day
• Go Green Skokie
• Chicago Park District Nature Play Spaces

1. Climate & Energy

Reducing carbon emissions (scope 1 and 2) following the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) goals of 45% by 2030 from 2018 baseline, 80% by 2040, and 100% by 2050 (i.e. Net Zero by 2050).

1. 100% renewable electricity procurement by 2035. 
2. Maximizing on-site rooftop solar by 2050. 

2. Water

100% low-flow water fixtures (2.5 gpm or less) in all schools by 2035.

3. Sustainably Sourced Food

Increase procurement of sustainably sourced, locally grown, and nutritious food for school meals by 25% by 2030 based on 24-25 school year financial data, 40% by 2050.

4. Reduce Food and Packaging Waste in Lunchrooms

Reduce the amount of composted waste (food and single-use compostable items) in lunchrooms by 20% by 2030 based on the 22-23 school year, and 50% by 2050. Transition to all reusables in the lunchrooms and eliminate food-related single-use plastics by 2050.

5. Waste & Circularity

Rightsize waste services (landfill and recycling) across all buildings by 2027, resulting in at least a 5% increase in recycling and compost service volumes by 2030. 25% decrease in landfilled waste (0.030 cu.yd. refuse volume per student) by 2040. 

6. Purchasing

Develop and implement Sustainable and Environmentally Preferable Purchasing guidelines (EPP) that factor this sustainability plan into purchasing decisions, procedures, and specifications by 2030. Conduct biennial reviews of D65 procurement procedures and specifications for alignment with D65 sustainability goals.

1. Climate & Energy

1. Develop a methodology to measure Scope 1 carbon emissions for the district, along with standardizing Scope 2 carbon emissions measurement methodology. 
2. Continue monitoring energy consumption data through utility bill analysis until live energy monitoring is available in all district buildings. 
3. Continue to review HVAC and lighting settings and schedules to ensure optimal energy efficiency best management practices, including fall / winter / spring and summer breaks. 
4. Maintain variable frequency drives on existing building equipment and explore future opportunities to install more based on new and emerging technology across the district. 
5. Developing a schedule and long term maintenance plan to upgrade older equipment to more energy efficient equipment at the end of the useful life. 
6. Evaluation of rooftops at buildings to identify potential for on-site rooftop solar panels and battery storage including timing for roof replacement. 
7. Release requests for proposals (RFPs) for renewable electricity including on-site rooftop solar and procuring renewable electricity. 
8. Develop break shutdown checklists and share with buildings prior to extended breaks (fall, winter, spring, summer) to encourage energy efficiency.
9. Continued education and engagement with the D65 community about energy saving opportunities in our schools (e.g., turn off the lights, unplug appliances, etc). 
10. Engage students in climate and energy learning opportunities in our schools: where energy comes from, how energy is used, and how to save energy.
11. Develop Climate Resilience Plan for D65 (Schools are prepared to adapt and respond to the effects of climate change by (1) sustain operations during climate events (2) equipped with reliable and durable infrastructure and (3) keep students safe during one-time events and through long-term climate change effects).
    1. Explore schools as Resilience Hubs or places of refuge during an emergency
12. Integrate sustainability metrics into School Data Dashboards to raise awareness of building performance towards our D65 sustainability goals. 

2. Water

1. Continue installation of low-flow water fixtures (2.5 gallons per minute or less) in buildings.
2. Continue monitoring water usage in all district buildings to help identify ongoing preventative and maintenance needs. 
3. Add submetering to better track water usage.
4. Continue education and engagement with the school community on D65 Watering Best Practices: School Gardens and Grounds (Trees, Native Plants).
5. Encourage rain barrels to reduce the fresh water needed for watering. 
6. Continued education and engagement with the D65 community about water-saving opportunities in our schools, including opportunities to communicate about MWRD Overflow Action Day Alerts (Teaching and Learning).

3. Sustainably Sourced Food

1. Increase student consumption and exposure to locally-grown produce through partnerships with Evanston Grows, ETHS and edible food gardens at our schools.
2. Track local spending with produce, milk, bread, and other suppliers (food sourced less than 250 miles away).
3. Prioritize opportunities for scratch or speed-scratch cooking.
4. Coordinate with ETHS and D65 to adopt the Good Food Purchasing Program to further encourage cafeteria food that is organic, humane, plant-based and local. 
5. Continue to incorporate more plant-based options into menus; consider options that contribute fewer emissions during farming and/or processing.
   1. Evaluate nutrition standards and menu development processes to identify opportunities to increase vegetarian / vegan offerings.
6. Provide education and engagement with students and staff on sustainable food systems and locally-grown produce options, including field trips and stewardship opportunities to nearby community gardens and farms in addition to visiting on-site school gardens.

4. Reduce Food and Packaging Waste in Lunchrooms

1. Continue lunchroom composting & recycling in all schools (lunchroom and kitchen operations). Expand to breakfast in the lunchroom and staff lounges.
   1. Annual training for staff (school leaders, lunchroom supervisors, custodians) as needed.
   2. Annual refresh of lunchroom composting & recycling practices for students and staff.
   3. Explore opportunities to expand to community partners like Books and Breakfast, Right at School, Summer Programming. 
2. Develop a “Feeding Forward” program to reduce Food Waste and explore Food Rescue and Donation Opportunities, in partnership with ETHS.
   1. Incorporate some level of food waste assessments to be able to gauge what kinds of foods are wasted and potentially adjust ordering practices. 
   2. Implement routine strategies for obtaining student and nutrition staff feedback around student meals. Use this feedback as a tool in menu planning.
3. Eliminate Food-Related Single Use Plastics in Lunchrooms.
   1. Continue and expand the use of Share Tables at all schools. 
   2. Continue bulk food serving carts for school lunches.
   3. Eliminate single-use plastics for food served during school lunches (e.g., baby carrots not in plastic bags, bulk ketchup dispenser instead of packets).
   4. Explore replacing all single-serve milk cartons with chilled milk dispensers.
4. Reusables in all lunchrooms (e.g. utensils, trays), start with a pilot and expand to all schools if successful based on the following options: 
   1. Commercial dishwashers/hub to promote reusable materials.
   2. Centralize the washing and sanitation system and circulate through ETHS where food trucks already travel.
   3. Research service options for a delivery “catering” style dishwashing service.
   4. Consider procuring small dishwashers, feasibility of handwashing, or pursue an external service.

5. Waste & Circularity

1. Outdoor dumpster monitoring to right-size for savings opportunities.
2. Annual monitoring and record keeping of landfill and recycling service levels at all D65 buildings to measure progress towards landfill reduction goal.
3. Composting and recycling is provided at all meetings and events.
4. Explore opportunities to offer a few centralized waste operations (landfill, recycle, compost) as appropriate in the buildings.
5. Reuse in our Buildings and Community
   1. Continue to host and expand End of Year / Start of School Clean Outs with community partners to receive donations. 
   2. Continue to encourage School Supply Swap Closets at all schools. 
   3. Establish donation / clean out process for schools available throughout the school year (e.g., library book weeding, donation & recycling). 
   4. Donate old curriculum materials when rolling out new curriculum, in partnership with Teaching & Learning, Schools Teams and community partners receiving the donations. 
   5. Save cardboard boxes from internal moves for future reuse at the schools, when storage is limited consider centralizing storage at the warehouse.
   6. Develop a process to inventory excess furniture & supplies in Warehouse and Schools (e.g., Rheaply) to develop a surplus property program to internally reuse, sell, or donate surplus furniture, office and school supplies, and other equipment and supplies no longer needed by the District.
   7. Reuse in Construction Projects for Buildings (onsite reuse or offsite reuse).
   8. PTAs and Community Groups host Community SWAP Events or Recycling Events in D65 buildings (securing necessary permit approvals).
6. Waste Reduction 
   1. Continue to explore opportunities to transition administrative functions to paperless processes. 
   2. Continue installation of water bottle filling stations with drinking fountains.
   3. Reduce bottled water purchasing and offer reusable or compostable water cups in our schools. 
   4. Explore the feasibility of replacing paper towel dispensers with hand dryers. 
7. Recycling
   1. Continue recycling in all D65 schools.
   2. Develop and roll-out school-wide recycling contamination check of internal recycling bins and provide feedback to students & staff, ideally student lead with staff support. 
   3. Develop D65 technology tool and supply removal and recycling process for older equipment at the end of its useful life, in partnership with Technology and community partners. 
8. Conduct waste audits in D65 buildings. 
9. Establish waste guidelines for D65.
10. Explore the potential for landfill trash compactors to be installed in all buildings to save space, reduce risks, and measure landfill waste diversion. 
11. Ensure each landfill container has a paired recycling container with signage. Conduct periodic audits of paired containers and signage. 
12. Share communications on City/community-related events activities with the D65 community (repair cafe, drop-off events, waste directory).
13. Host School and Community Litter Clean-Up Events (e.g., Waste Wednesdays hosted by Oakton PTA).
14. Align with Circular Evanston Roadmap opportunities as applicable to schools. 

6. Purchasing

1. Policy: Refine the Standard Procurement Policy to establish a preference for locally procured goods per our Board Policy per Illinois School Code (30 ILCS 575/2) from minority, female, veteran, small business, or disabled contractors/vendors, second-hand materials, products with environmentally sustainable certifications, and materials that are recyclable or compostable while meeting student and staff needs and purchasing requirements.
2. Process: Centralize some procurement processes so that not all purchases are school by school; improve efficiency, planning, and coordination, especially for bulk orders, to share materials among schools; better track and understand the existing inventory of materials, including leveraging the physical asset audit of equipment and materials and established systems.
3. Collaboration: Collaborate with local community partners (e.g., WasteShed) to acquire materials and build awareness, especially at opportune moments like teacher wish lists, beginning and end of the school year.
4. Assess the district’s top 10 purchasing categories by spend and determine opportunities to transition to environmentally preferable purchasing.
5. Leverage the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Program to develop a Sustainable Purchasing Plan that may include criteria such as:
   1. Product has earned a third-party environmental or socially responsible certification including but not limited to: Green Seal, EcoLogo, BPI Certified, Cradle-to-Cradle, Energy Star, WaterSense, EPEAT, GREENGUARD, and Fair Trade. 
   2. Product contains recycled content. 
   3. Product is reusable or recyclable. 
   4. Product is designed with minimal packaging. 
   5. Product manufacturers operate or participate in take-back programs. 
   6. Product is made of a rapidly renewable material. 
   7. Product is a low/no VOC alternative. 
   8. Product is non-toxic and/or biodegradable. 
   9. Product is considered environmentally preferable over competitors. 
   10. Product promotes resource efficiency.
   11. Prioritizes vendors that adhere to sustainable practices.
6. Inventory Management, aligned with Waste & Circularity strategies. 
   1. School Supplies Inventory Management.
      1. Building systems and structures within schools on inventory management and limiting buying new
      2. Utilize central shared storage or swapping supplies for needs (Supply Swap Closets)
   2. Furniture Inventory Management (Fixed Assets).
   3. Beginning of Year (BOY) and End of Year (EOY) Cleanout and Notification.
   4. Utilize already established audit findings and reporting.

1. Climate & Energy

• % greenhouse gas emission (scope 1 and 2) reduction
• % energy (electricity + natural gas) reduction
• % renewable electricity procurement
• # kWh on-site roof-top solar, # buildings

2. Water

• % low-flow water fixtures district-wide

3. Sustainably Sourced Food

• % spending for locally procured food

4. Reduce Food and Packaging Waste in Lunchrooms

• Amount of waste composted, # schools participating
• % reduction in waste composted
• % reusables in lunchrooms, # schools participating
• % reduction in food-related single use plastics in the lunchroom

5. Waste & Circularity

• Year right-sizing of waste services occurs
• Amount of waste recycled and composted, # buildings participating
• % increase in recycling and compost service volumes
• % decrease in landfill service volumes
• # schools participating in clean out events
• # schools with school supply swap closets

6. Purchasing

• Year when Sustainable and Environmentally Preferable Purchasing guidelines are developed and implemented
• % environmentally preferable purchasing of the district’s top 10 purchasing categories by spend
• Increase % in bulk buying 
• % buying from local vendors

D65 School Board Policy 4:70 Resource Conservation

1. Climate & Energy

1. 27% reduction in Scope 2 Carbon Emissions (1409 Metric Tons) based on May 2023-April 2024 vs May 2018-April 2019.
2. 28% reduction in Electricity used (1,680,476 kWh) based on May 2023-April 2024 vs May 2018-April 2019 D65 has baseline data available since 1996.
3. 26% reduction in Natural Gas used (133,785 therm) based on May 2023-April 2024 vs May 2018-April 2019 D65 has baseline data available since 1996.
4. $542,949 total annual cost avoidance from sustainability / energy efficiency May 2023-April 2024 compared to base year usage and costs in 1995-1996. 
   • Cost Avoidance: Shows the cost savings realized by implementing sustainability / energy efficient programs and initiatives to reduce electricity, natural gas and water compared to what our usage would have been continuing "business as usual" with no reduction efforts. 
5. Heat Pump assessment for Boilers at D65 schools, identifying opportunities for appropriate sizing and incorporating VFDs during the 24-25 school year.
6. Installed one kW solar panel at Haven, Chute, Nichols, King Arts and Washington.
7. Identified on-site rooftop solar potential when completing ComEd Public Schools Carbon-Free Assessment at all schools during 22-23 and 24-25 school years. 

2. Water

1. Installed over 40% low flow water fixtures in schools, as of January 2025. 
2. Upgrading to more efficient water fixtures in school bathrooms (ongoing). 
3. 11% reduction in Water used (1,353 CCF) based on May 2023-April 2024 vs May 2018-April 2019 (D65 has baseline data available since 1996.)
4. Monitor water usage at schools and identify water leaks, partnership and collaboration with D65 Maintenance (ongoing).
5. D65 Watering Best Practices: School Gardens and Grounds (Trees, Native Plants) established in the 23-24 school year.

3. Sustainably Sourced Food

1. D65 does purchase some local foods, with help from the state for funding. Additionally, it's important to know that 60% of our students are fed with ETHS.
2. 16 school gardens at D65 schools.

4. Reduce Food and Packaging Waste in Lunchrooms

1. Lunchroom composting and recycling in all D65 schools, achieved in 22-23 school year and again in 24-25 school year. Celebrating our positive impact from lunchroom composting and recycling in our schools in the 23-24 school year! Together, we composted over 204,915 lbs of waste and 378,995 trays with 5,946 students participating at 16 schools. We avoided 66.4 metric tons of carbon emissions by composting instead of landfilling our waste, that's equal to 1,098 tree seedlings growing for 10 years.
2. Reducing single use plastics for student lunches. 
   1. Brought back the bulk food carts in our schools after COVID. Benefits include more fruit and veggie choices for our students, increasing student choice in what they'd like for lunch therefore reducing food waste and packaging.
   2. Introducing reusable silverware at our JEH Early Childhood Center, including installation of a commercial dishwasher in the kitchen.
   3. Partnering with ETHS to purchase bulk items when possible as we strive to reduce packaging.
3. Elimination of styrofoam trays, transitioned to all compostable trays in all D65 schools.

5. Waste & Circularity

1. 66.11 Tons Recycled from August 2023 - start of June 2024 (City of Evanston Wednesday schools route includes ETHS and a few other serviced locations).
2. Rolled out recycling improvements for 2024 Earth Month, including new classroom and office recycling and landfill signage and recycling website. 
   1. Rolling out Tandem Dollies in D65 schools in November 2024 to streamline collection of recycling and landfill from classrooms and offices.
3. Host annual End of School Clean Out at D65 Schools.
4. Installed water fountains with bottle fillers to encourage reusable water bottles.
5. In partnership with the Library Department, we created a new process for D65 librarians to weed out library books for donation or paper recycling during the 23-24 school year.
6. Developing D65 technology tool and supply removal and recycling process during the 24-25 school year. 
7. Developing School Recycling Contamination Checks program during the 24-25 school year. 
8. Developing zero waste / sustainability guidelines for meetings and events during the 24-25 school year. 
9. Hosted Trash or Treasure candy wrapper recycling (free!) program at our D65 schools.

6. Purchasing

1. Promotes environmentally friendly office practices (e.g. recycled paper products, two-sided printing).

1. Transportation directed by D65

Reduce carbon emissions from transportation directed by District 65 from a 2018 baseline. 

1. 50% electric vehicles in the district fleet by 2040 and 100% by 2050.
2. 30% electric school buses by 2030, 50% by 2040, and 100% by 2050. 
3. 30% other district directed vehicles for student transportation (Minivans / taxis) are electric by 2030, 50% by 2040 and 100% by 2050.

2. Sustainable Modes of Transportation

Increase percentage of students and staff who travel to and from District 65 facilities using sustainable modes of transportation (walk, bike, public transit, wheelchair, electric vehicles, carpooling, and other micromobility* modes) from a 26-27 school year baseline**.

1. For students, increase 5% by 2030, 15% by 2040, and 25% by 2050.
2. For staff, increase by 5% by 2040 and 10% by 2050.

*Micromobility modes of transportation can include scooters, skateboard, rollerblades, etc.
**Re-evaluation of goals % increases by 2030 once baseline established.  
 

1. Transportation directed by D65

1. Evaluation of D65 vehicle usage (range, daily and weekly usage, fuel consumption, parking) to prioritize and viability to transition to electric vehicles. 
2. As D65 vehicles are replaced, transition to electric vehicles, when economically feasible and pursue grant funding for EVs. 
3. Installation of EV charging stations in centralized parking areas (e.g., D65 warehouse) to allow for charging of EVs and pursue grant funding. 
4. Partner with School Bus companies to incorporate electric school bus goals into D65 contracts along with pursuing EV school bus grant funding. 
5. Partner with other district-directed vehicles for student transportation (Minivans / taxis) companies to incorporate electric vehicle goals into D65 contracts. 

2. Sustainable Modes of Transportation

1. Conduct a district-wide survey of student and staff commuting and establish a 26-27 school year baseline for goals.
2. Develop and maintain Safe Routes to School Plan for all D65 schools, in collaboration with the City of Evanston and the Village of Skokie allowing for safe travel for students. 
3. Transportation Education at appropriate grade levels to develop a culture of sustainable modes of transportation to schools, through programs in schools and family engagement that teach:
   1. pedestrian safety / skills
   2. cycling safety / skills
   3. bike repair 
   4. micromobility
   5. public transit education in schools navigation skills, relevant bus and train routes, etc.  
4. Link educational programs to access programs for bicycles/mobility equipment (e.g., bicycles, helmets, locks, lights), in partnership with community partners.
5. Bikes
   1. Expand bike racks at D65 schools, as needed. 
   2. School site provision of an air pump, and other tools as relevant, for inflating tires available to students and staff on site.
   3. Support bike bus programs for student transportation in partnership with school PTAs and community partners. 
   4. Explore and promote access to Divvy rideshare access programs for staff commuting and work travel.
6. Public Transit
   1. Explore student transit access programs that leverage public transportation for students and families to encourage increased use.
   2. Explore and promote access to public transit passes for staff commuting and work travel.
   3. Explore promoting mode shift from private school bus companies to public transportation for middle school students trips to and from school in partnership with the City of Evanston, Village of Skokie and relevant transit agencies.
7. Explore and promote the use of carpool programs for student and staff commutes, through incentives and education for families and staff. 
8. Explore provision of shared fleet cars for staff work trips between schools / buildings to reduce need to bring personal vehicles.
9. Installation of EV charging infrastructure at school district properties, where feasible, for staff vehicles during sch ool hours and accessible to community members (fee-based) during non-school hours. 

1. Transportation directed by D65

• % and # electric vehicles in our D65 vehicle fleet
• # EV charging stations installed for D65 vehicle fleet
• % and # electric school buses serving D65 students
• % and # electric vehicles serving D65 students via other district directed vehicles for student transportation (Minivans / taxis) 

2. Sustainable Modes of Transportation

• % students traveling to D65 facilities via sustainable modes of transportation
• % staff traveling to D65 facilities via sustainable modes of transportation
• % students arrive by being driven alone
• % staff drive alone rate
• # bike racks at each school, % usage
• # EV charging stations at each school / total # EV charging stations district-wide

Anti Idling Policy for cars and buses (4:70 Resource Conservation).

1. Transportation directed by D65

1. By the end of the 25-26 school year, we will have 11 electric school buses (approximately 25% of buses) serving our D65 students.

2. Sustainable Modes of Transportation

1. Bike racks at majority (if not all) D65 schools. Adding new bike racks upon School Principal request. 
2. D65 and City of Evanston collaboration to offer D65 Educators Bike Walk education via LCI training during the 24-25 school year.  
3. Foster School parking lot will include EV charging stations, which will be accessible to community members during non-school hours.

• Municipal Governments (City of Evanston and Village of Skokie): Collaborate with District 65 to meet relevant transportation and mobility goals within respective jurisdictions.
  • Collaborate on providing and maintaining Safe Routes to School networks
  • Support transportation and facility infrastructure that enables sustainable modes of transportation 
  • Support with cycling and transportation education and bike access programs
  • Creating civic education opportunities for students to interact with local government to promote safe routes to school by sustainable modes of transportation
  • Support with coordination with transit agencies for public transit-related programming
• The Recyclery and Working Bikes
  • Support and teach bike repairs to middle school students
  • Partner to provide for students in need of bikes
• Transit Agency Partners 
• Climate Action Evanston and Go Green Skokie - supports organizing parents and other community members to meet sustainable modes of transportation goals 
  • Support with parent outreach for transit and cycling education
• Parent Teacher Associations
  • Promote students commuting to D65 schools using sustainable modes of transportation
  • Cultivate and support bike bus initiatives
  • Support in measuring baseline and progress of students commuting by sustainable modes of transportation