Nixa Public Schools receives LEED certification

Nixa Public Schools has been awarded national Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design Silver certification on its District Technology and Training Center, according to a Sept. 20 Nixa schools news release.

The building was awarded the certification for sustainable energy, lighting, water and material use by the U.S. Green Building Council and verified by the Green Building Certification Institute, the release said.

"This is our first venture into green sustainable construction," said Zac Rantz, Nixa Public Schools communication coordinator, adding that the certification is the school district's stepping stone into future green building projects. "This is a big deal for us."

Rantz said the District Technology and Training Center, 301 S. Main St., redevelopment was designed by Springfield-based architecture firm Sapp Design Associates.

The general contractor was Kansas-based Crossland Construction, said Jim Stufflebeam, Sapp Design vice president and senior project manager

Renovations were completed in January 2010, Rantz said.

The district technology building was the best choice for starting out in green building design, he said.

"It was one of the original school buildings in the district," Rantz said. "The building itself was prime for this. It was a smaller project, so we could learn through the process."

The U.S. Green Building Council's LEED certification is an internationally recognized rating system for green building design. There are currently about 35,000 projects participating in the system, consisting of those from all 50 states and 91 countries, according to its Web site.
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