Photo courtesy of the School District of Philadelphia

Philly takes another huge step in the green direction last week as the Kensington High School for Creative and Performing Arts was certified by the U.S. Green Building Council as the first public high school in the nation to reach LEED‘s Platinum level. Yes, I’ll say it again, Kensington CAPA is the first public high school in the entire country to have a Platinum level LEED certification. It deserves a little reiteration.

The Platinum level, as the title implies, is the highest level of recognition under the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System. It requires sustainable design concepts with regards to energy and water efficiency, as well as indoor environmental quality. According to Newsworks, Kensington CAPA (in association with the Shissler Recreation Center across the street) further the standard by employing such innovative design concepts as a geothermal well field and an infiltration basin, designed to keep storm water out of the gutters and into the soil surrounding the school.

The accomplishment was the latest and greatest in the School District of Philadelphia’s push for more sustainability in its schools. Awarded the certification during an assembly last Wednesday with Mayor Nutter, the school celebrated its forward thinking step in the green direction. —-Conrad Benner

Photo courtesy of the School District of Philadelphia