Three NYS school districts win awards for environmental sustainability programs |
On Board Online • July 20, 2026
By Gary Stern
Special Correspondent
There's no single path for schools to give students a meaningful appreciation of today's environmental concerns. Three New York school districts recently honored for their sustainability work each took a different route.
The Salamanca City Central School District, located on the Allegany Territory of the Seneca Nation in Cattaraugus County, was recognized in April as a 2026 Magna Award Silver Winner by the National School Boards Association. It was honored for its efforts to improve indoor air quality.
The State Education Department (SED) in April gave 2025-26 Green Ribbon awards to two school districts:
- Williamsville Central School District for remaking a school courtyard as a district model for green education.
- Katonah-Lewisboro School District for its long-term commitment to reducing its carbon footprint and engaging students.
State Green Ribbon winners used to be nominated for a federal designation, but the U.S. Department of Education ended its program in 2025.
"I'm proud that New York State continued this program," said Lisa Herlihy, assistant superintendent for Katonah-Lewisboro.
Here's a closer look at the work for which the three districts were honored:
Katonah-Lewisboro: Reducing greenhouse gas emissions
Katonah-Lewisboro, a suburban district of about 2,800 students in Westchester County, has had a longstanding commitment to conservation and students' environmental awareness. In awarding the Green Ribbon, SED cited Katonah-Lewisboro's "demonstrable achievements" over several years.
The school board appointed a Sustainability Committee in 2007-08 to focus on making sustainability a true part of the K-12 curriculum. By 2019, the district had transitioned to 100% wind-powered electricity, purchased through an energy cooperative, while making composting and other programs part of the district's culture.
Currently, the district is implementing a sustainability plan that calls for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 85% by 2040. Goals are to replace fossil-fuel boilers with geothermal and air-sourced heat pumps, install new solar panels on each school, and support full bus fleet electrification.
"Getting the Green Ribbon is one way we hope to draw attention to all the work we've done," said Melissa Brady, an instructional coach at John Jay Middle School who serves on the district's Sustainability Leadership Team. This team and the school board Sustainability Committee steer the district's sweeping environmental program.
KLSD educators try to align what they call the "3 Cs" on environmental issues: campus, community and curriculum. "We always want to make sure that teachers know what's going on, that the community knows what's going on and that we create opportunities for student agency - so they can impact what's going on," Brady said.
In each school, student Green Teams (afterschool clubs) play leading roles.
Kiran Banerjee, a sixth-grader, was part of an elementary school Green Team that looked at how to make the school more sustainable. Now in middle school, he's part of a Green Team planning a "microforest" on campus - a small, biodiverse forest that will highlight the needs to plant more trees.
"We're doing all the planning - how to get money for it, how to get volunteers, how to get permissions," Kiran said. "We'll watch it grow and care for it. It's really fun and important."
Officials want environmental awareness to be ingrained through the district. In fact, one of the district's six "pillars" is to "inspire students to lead as champions of sustainability and responsible global citizens." An annual Sustainability Showcase for the community outlines achievements.
Williamsville: Sustainability part of a five-year plan
Part of the 2022-27 strategic plan for the Williamsville Central School District in Erie County states: "The district will integrate programs and educate staff, students and the community on critical factors that impact personal and community wellness and the sustainability of our environment."
"We wanted to improve sustainability education," said school board President Crystal Kaczmarek-Bogner. She said that district leaders were excited to discover that the application process for the state's Green Ribbon awards included measurable goals.
"We hoped to be recognized, and we were," she said.
The district of about 9,500 students formed a Green Ribbon committee three years ago to plan its focus on sustainability, with Maple East as its model school.
One prominent innovation: an arboretum in Maple East's courtyard, which is used by classes to investigate plant growth and life cycles. A student Garden Club maintains the courtyard, pruning trees and shrubs.
"We were cognizant of creating something that could be sustained," Maple East Principal William Bohen said. "The kids love the courtyard. They bond with it."
The school brings in parents and community members to talk about their environmental work and careers. The goal is for students to learn that they are part of a larger community and that "as citizens, it's important to take care of the environment, reduce waste and reuse what we can," Dr. Bohen said.
About 100 high school students recently visited Maple East to teach mini-lessons about ecology, recycling, pollution and more.
Abe Joseph, a ninth-grader, devised a game that allowed his younger peers to identify invasive species that could threaten local ecosystems.
"They really wanted the local species to survive," he said. "I personally feel, what we were doing . is passing on a sense of awareness and education regarding some of the largest ecological problems in history."
Talia Fadem, a 10th-grader, taught the youngsters that putting decals on windows can prevent birds from flying into them. "What I taught the kids is that birds help native species of plants and keep down rodent populations."
Soon, the school will have a butterfly garden. Williamsville East Environmental Research Club plans to create a monarch habitat and an outdoor classroom for younger students.
Williamsville Superintendent Dr. Darren J. Brown-Hall said the district, buoyed by its Green Ribbon, aims to replicate Maple East's success at other schools. "Maple East stands out, but we want to make sure our other schools develop the same momentum," he said. "This is an exciting time for us to get this recognition."
The district, working with the New York Power Authority, continues to reduce its energy usage through heating controls, lighting upgrades and ventilation improvements.
Salamanca: Air quality focus matches community values
The Salamanca district in Cattaraugus County is located on tribal territory, and about half its students identify as Native American or "Native/other/mixed race." The district takes seriously the Native American "Seventh Generation Principle," which holds that decisions made today should be sustainable for seven generations.
So, when this rural district of 1,440 students had concerns about the air quality at one school several years ago, the district decided to do a thorough review of air quality at all three of its schools.
Officials started analyzing staff complaints, student absences, student visits to the nurse and more.
The district also applied to the Go Green Initiative, a national nonprofit, for training and technical assistance to improve schools' indoor air quality. The district got a $50,000 grant from Go Green and trades data with districts across the country that are also working on improving indoor air quality. Its partnership with Go Green will go until 2028.
"We had to educate ourselves on why indoor air quality matters, how it affects kids and staff, and how to assess it," said Sandra Brundage, grant administrator for the district. "The community is behind what we're doing - in this community, the schools are a true hub," Brundage said. "The community uses our spaces and connects with the schools in a meaningful way on a regular basis."
Working with Go Green, officials did a building-by-building assessment, looking for dust buildup, wet tiles, unusual smells, mold and animal droppings. "We crawled around on the ceilings and looked into every space," Brundage said.
After that, air purification units were added to each classroom.
Owen Kranock, the student member of Salamanca's school board, said that improving indoor air quality supports the well-being of students and strengthens the overall learning environment. "These improvements are an investment in both our students and our community, creating benefits that reach far beyond the classroom and making this a true win-win for all," he said.
Theresa A. Ray, president of the Salamanca school board, said that inclusion in Go Green's program has been transformative for the district.
"It allowed us to create healthier learning environments and ensure that every student and staff member walks into classrooms that support their well being," she said. "This investment isn't just about infrastructure - it's about giving our children the safe, high quality educational spaces they deserve."