For City Schools, a commitment to sustainability means minimizing the environmental impact of our buildings, educating school communities about the connections between their daily actions and the environment, and empowering students to be leaders in creating a more sustainable school district, city, and community.

• Sustainability Plan

• Sustainability Policy, including the Energy, Water, and Resource Conservation Regulation

• Annual sustainability report to the Board of School Commissioners

The City Schools Sustainability Plan identifies the key areas that City Schools will focus on in the coming years. The plan is tied to the district’s Blueprint for Success and is an important part of making our schools engaging, exciting, and healthy places to teach and learn. Together, we can make Baltimore a cleaner, greener place to learn, work, and live. The plan is grouped into these categories:

As a City Schools staff person, student, family member or partner, here are ways to further our sustainability goals: 

• View all the sustainability resources organized by the goals of the Sustainability Plan. 

• Be your school’s School Sustainability Point of Contact the designated coordinator of sustainability, greening, and environmental activities.

• Register for recycling pick up. The City Department of Public Works will collect recycling once per week from each school that registers in the fall of each school year; visit the recycling toolkit for additional resources.

• Read the Green Schools Updates newsletter for monthly updates, shout-outs, resources, and announcements. To receive the newsletter, email us

• Apply for Green, Healthy Smart Challenge funding for student-led greening projects at schools, due in late October

• Explore the Green Schools Program by the Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education. 

• Participate in Farm to School programing, which is led by the Food & Nutrition Services department and is an integral part of our sustainability efforts.  

• See these online toolkits:

  • Classroom Cooking Toolkit

  • Cleaning for Health Toolkit

  • Energy Conservation Toolkit

  • Net Zero Energy Toolkit 

  • Outdoor Learning Toolkit

  • Recycling Toolkit

  • School Garden Toolkit

At City Schools, we want schools that are filled with natural light and clean air and that help teach students about the environment and their role in it. To that end, we are:

1. Building and renovating schools that meet the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver standard and the sustainable criteria in our educational specifications and design standards.

2. Improving indoor air quality to support good health among students, teachers, and staff who spend hours each day inside schools.

3. Creating opportunities for enjoying nature and learning about the natural world through on-site outdoor classrooms and off-site field experiences that support environmental literacy.

4. Saving energy by:

   • Buying energy and managing its cost by participating in a wholesale portfolio program, the Baltimore Regional Cooperative Purchasing Committee.

   • Educating students, staff, and the community about energy conservation.

   • Capturing rebates and grants available for school construction and upgrades.

   • Tracking current and historical utility consumption and costs for each school.

   Thank you for your interest and support in our mission to reduce the environmental impact of our buildings, educate school communities about the relationship between their actions and the environment, and empower our students to become leaders in creating a more sustainable city and society.

Contact us at green@bcps.k12.md.us.