Page 93 - Superintendent Report 2021-22

Environmental & Conservation Services

Environmental & Conservation Services (ECS) serves in a regulatory and education/outreach
capacity. ECS’s compliance responsibilities include hazardous waste, asbestos, demolitions, radon,
indoor air quality, infectious disease control, sustainability initiatives, and green practices oversight.

• Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) - ECS performed 447 inspections and provided oversight of 355 IAQ
remediation projects.
• Infectious Disease – ECS supported the safe return to school by responding to facilities
impacted by the Delta and Omicron COVID-19 variants. ECS logged 9,653 infectious disease
incidents, of which 9,633 were COVID-19 related, and 20 were other diseases. ECS employed
specialized contractors for 118 infectious disease sanitizing projects.
• Green Schools Training - ECS hosted the District’s first annual Sustainability Symposium for
school-based Green Champions. Ten schools earned Green Designation through the Florida
Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) Green Apple Awards. Thirty-one schools
were recognized for setting goals as part of their Sustainable School Action Plans.
• Community Education Outreach - ECS received a grant to host the Smithsonian Institution’s
traveling exhibit, Water/Ways, in partnership with Palm Beach State College’s Dolly Hand
Cultural Arts Center in Belle Glade. Programs included film screenings, field trips, guest
speakers, and Student Career Webinar Series.
• Outdoor Classrooms - ECS collaborated with Galaxy ES and Acreage Pines ES to develop
interpretive nature signage and create outdoor classrooms. ECS partnered with the City of
Boynton Beach for the Galaxy Sand Pine Scrub project. Through grants from Winn Dixie and
the District’s Wellness Promotion Task Force, signage was installed in the Acreage Pines
Elementary’s Wet Prairie and Pine Flatwood Preserve area.
• Green Schools/Sustainability Awards – The District received a 2021 Gold Level Florida Green
School District Award from Florida Green School Network for its dedication to conserving
natural resources, promoting sustainability, and reducing operating costs.
• Green Spaces Grant - The District received a $30,000 grant from Solid Waste Authority to
restore a blighted District-owned vacant lot, including overgrowth/invasive species removal,
signage installation, and permanent fencing.

Superintendent Burke at Board Member Whitfield at Smithsonian Institution display
Acreage Pines ES Preserve Sustainability Symposium in Belle Glade, Florida

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