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Mapping Your District’s Path to Building Decarbonization
Room: 106
Time: 10:30am – 11:30am
CEU: 1 Zero Net Carbon Design (ZNCD)
Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD) is demonstrating how districts can thoughtfully integrate sustainability across operations, planning, and design. This session will highlight how LBUSD’s Green School Operations Policy, Facilities Master Plan, and Strategic Plan have established a framework for climate action—now being realized through a pilot project at Washington Middle School featuring all-electric systems, solar arrays, and outdoor learning spaces.
Following the district spotlight, national experts from New Buildings Institute (NBI) and the Center for Green Schools (CFGS) will facilitate Q&A with LBUSD leaders and then guide participants through a hands-on activity to map their organizations current status with and next steps toward decarbonization. Attendees will gain practical tools and strategies—such as NBI’s Decarbonization Roadmap Guide and Owner’s Project Requirements and the CFGS national network of sustainability staff—to advance building decarbonization, leverage funding opportunities, and accelerate progress toward net-zero schools.
Our approach to moving schools along the path of decarbonization at a building or portfolio scale can be used by K-12 and higher education facilities/sustainablity staff, industry practitioners, and school support organizations. Through proactive planning and alignment of priorities across the organization, setting a baseline, planning for building lifecycle events, and prioritizing specific projects and approaches to building decarbonization, this session will guide districts on their path based on where they are currently, and where their community wants to go.
This interactive workshop style session will provide a real-world case study as well as industry tools, resources, and frameworks that attendees can immediately apply to assess their district’s readiness, plan for lifecycle upgrades, and leverage funding for implementation. Whether you’re just beginning your decarbonization journey or ready to scale up, this session offers a fun opportunity to learn from peers, explore proven pathways, and connect with experts who are helping schools across the nation move toward all-electric, net-zero campuses.
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this session, attendees will be able to:
- Identify key steps for integrating sustainability and decarbonization goals into district operations, facilities master plans, and strategic plans.
- Analyze a real-world case study from Long Beach Unified School District to understand practical approaches to implementing all-electric, low-carbon school buildings.
- Apply tools such as the Decarbonization Roadmap Guide and Owner’s Project Requirements to assess organizational readiness and plan next steps toward net-zero goals.
- Understanding of federal and state programs for supporting school district sustainability efforts, the resources they provide, and the technical support available to districts.
Speakers:
Phoebe Beierle, Senior Program Manager, US Green Building Council
Laurel Kruke, Energy and Sustainability Manager, Long Beach Unified School District
Reilly Loveland, Associate Director, New Buildings Institute
Phoebe Beierle is the Senior Manager of Programs for the Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council where she is responsible for leading educational program strategy promoting sustainable, resilient, and healthy schools. Specifically, Phoebe supports the School District Sustainability Leaders’ Network, now representing over 300 sustainability staff working at K-12 school-districts across the country, through unique tools, best practice education, research, and leadership development programs. Phoebe leans on her knowledge of industry best practices and experience with green building design and sustainable operations, which she built during her five years as Sustainability Manager at Boston Public Schools.
With 15+ years of experience in facility planning and sustainability education, Dr. Laurel Kruke is the Energy and Sustainability Manager for Long Beach Unified School District, working to meet the goals of the District-wide Sustainability Plan. She works on a variety of projects, including the district’s energy efficiency efforts, waste sorting program, green schoolyard planning, and environmental literacy initiatives, among many others. She recently finished her Ph.D. in Education at USC’s Rossier School of Education, focusing her dissertation on how teachers’ perceptions of climate change affect their integration of the subject into curriculum. Before starting her doctoral studies, Laurel was a Program Manager for the nonprofit Illinois Green Alliance, overseeing an education and outreach program for community buildings in Chicago. She has also worked as a sustainability consultant for school districts and as a workplace strategist for the architecture firm Gensler. She has a Bachelors of Science in Design and Environmental Analysis from Cornell University and a Masters of Arts in Sustainability from Arizona State University’s School of Sustainability.
Reilly Loveland is a national leader in sustainable school infrastructure, with over 15 years of experience supporting public school districts in creating healthier, more equitable, and future-ready learning environments. With a background in sustainability planning, facilities strategy, and stakeholder engagement, Reilly has worked with more than 500 school districts across the country to accelerate building electrification, modernize infrastructure, and implement data driven climate solutions.
Reilly brings a sharp understanding of the intersection between policy, funding, and community voice to school districts. Her work centers student well-being and community partnership in every step of the planning and implementation process. Known for bridging technical expertise with storytelling and public engagement, Reilly continues to drive national conversations around the future of K–12 learning spaces.