School Siting Project

Sustainable Schools in Illinois

Illinois was recently one of six states to be awarded a grant through a cooperative agreement between National Trust for Historic Preservation and US Environmental Protection Agency. The grant program, called Helping Johnny Walk to School: Sustaining Communities through Smart School Siting Policies, enables Illinois to research barriers to community-centered schools and to develop state-level policy recommendations. The Illinois grant was awarded to Healthy Schools Campaign who will work with partnering organizations and agencies to develop model policies that encourage environmentally-responsible school siting decisions in Illinois.

To gather public input on these subjects, two public forums were scheduled - one downstate and one in Chicagoland. Online public comment is also available (see below). Keeping these public comments and case study descriptions in mind, a white paper featuring suggested best practices and areas for policy improvement will be produced by the committee and presented to the public, providing citizens, lawmakers, and school officials with a useful tool to make school siting decisions that are stewardly of the environment, community health, and economic resources.

**Online School Siting Public Comment Form

Public Forums:

Agenda - Chicagoland public forum on school siting, December 2, 2008

Press release - downstate public forum on school siting, December 3, 2008

Northeast Illinois school siting report - presentation by CMAP (pdf)

Historic School Renovation - Bauer Latoza Studio (pdf)

Grant project advisory committee:

Healthy Schools Campaign

Office of the Lt. Governor

Landmarks Illinois

AIA Illinois

Active Transportation Alliance