Classes Begin at Missouri's First LEED Certified School

Words: Bronzella Cleveland

SeptemberOctober 2008
Industry News

Classes Begin at Missouri’s
First LEED Certified School

Missouri’s first LEED certified school opened in August for students in the North Kansas City School District. The $80-million Staley High School was designed by Hollis + Miller Architects, together with the school district and J.E. Dunn Construction Company.

Some of the sustainable design principles incorporated into Staley High School include extensive use of regionally sourced building materials (CMU, brick, steel, drywall and glass), as well as recycled steel content. Hollis + Miller designed the school to use 38 percent less water than a conventional building, and it will use 57 percent less energy than a conventional building.

Further, Daylighting is used extensively, which studies suggest helps produce higher test scores, reduce absenteeism and improve employee retention, according to the Council of Educational Facility Planners, International. Another strategy incorporated was to maximize open space and green space on the 20-plus acre campus. The team helped save three ponds on the existing site (protecting the habitat). Stormwater will be retained via the water harvested from the roof and site, which will then be stored in the pond for irrigation. This will help reduce site runoff and waste of rainwater. It also will provide a daily education opportunity for students.

Around the nation, green building principles and sustainable design solutions have become increasingly popular for school design and renovation. According the U.S. Green Building Council, nearly 100 public and private schools have been LEED certified since 2000, and another 800 are seeking certification.

Several states, including Hawaii, New Jersey and Florida, now require that new schools be more energy efficient, reduce their water usage and recycle more. The state of Ohio, which is considered a national leader in the greening of schools, has 250 new, green schools in various stages of design or construction. Officials say the state expects to save $1.4 billion in energy costs during the next 40 years through this program. MD

PPE That Workers Actually Wear: Building Buy-In Through Education and Smart Selection
August 2026

In masonry construction, personal protective equipment (PPE) is often the last line of defense between a worker and an injury. Yet despite its importance, PPE compliance remains one of the most common challenges on jobsites across the country. The realit

Greg Brown
Safety Library
Read More
Zero Laydown: Navigating the Logistics of Tight Urban Job Sites
August 2026

In modern commercial construction, spatial real estate has become just as valuable as the materials themselves. The industry shift toward high-density, urban projects means that the sprawling job sites of the past have been replaced by tight footprints wh

Shayne Sanders
MAP Partner
Read More
Why "The Software Can't Track That" Is Finally Going Away
August 2026

For as long as specialty contractors have used field software, most of them have kept a workaround somewhere: a spreadsheet on a foreman's laptop, a whiteboard in the trailer, or a text thread where crew leads send block counts at the end of the day becau

Erin Koets
Build Smart
MAP Partner
Read More
Monadnock Building
August 2026

Chicago’s Monadnock Building doesn’t dominate the skyline the way it once did. Surrounded by steel-and-glass towers, the dark brick structure can seem almost understated. But for anyone in the masonry industry, it remains one of the most important buildin

Cass Stern
American Treasure
Brick Clay Brick
Read More
Interested in working with us? Learn about and join the Masonry Alliance Program →