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Did you know that our school community generates an estimated 322 carbon tons per year? That is approximately 212 tons from transportation to and from school, 73 tons from building operations (electricity, gas, and water), 20 tons from supplies and 17 tons from annualized building construction. Although this is less than what many other schools generate (our direct energy consumption is better than 88% of schools out there!) there is still a lot we can do to reduce SFS’ environmental impact! Did you know, on the other hand, that The San Francisco School is already a leader among independent schools in the country for its responsible approach to the environment? Examples of environmental stewardship at work in our community include the school’s solar panel array, an award-winning zero waste program, the investment of 25% of Endowment money in Socially (and Environmentally) Responsible funds , and the widespread use of recycled materials in the open spaces of the school. These and other topics were the focus of an exciting “Eco-Charrette” that a group of SFS parents, teachers, staff and alumni held on Earth Day (Tuesday April 22, 2008) as part of the SFS Master Planning process. A key reason for the Eco-Charrette was to inform the planning process at this early juncture, and to embed the school’s approach to environmental stewardship and the values of sustainability in the eventual plan. The Eco-Charrette kicked-off with a number of expert presentations including descriptions of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (“LEED”) ‘Green Building’ rating program and the Collaborative for High Performance Schools (“CHPS”) resource program for environmentally focused school design and operation. The heart of the Charrette was the discussion that followed, as breakout groups walked the school and brainstormed sustainability in the context of (1) campus buildings, (2) educational programs, (3) social goals, and (4) behavioral goals. Groups returned to a moderated visioning exercise led by Bill Bondy from Starkweather Bondy, the firm that has been facilitating our master planning effort. The exercise sought to identify how the San Francisco School community can enhance its long tradition of environmental stewardship as it continues the master planning process. The wealth of stimulating ideas presented has been captured on a site plan that will be on display near the school office, where additional comments are welcome. Starkweather Bondy is also recording the ideas which will inform their effort and will be published on the website at http://www.sfschool.org/sfs/our_campus. As the master plan process continues, we encourage everyone in the community to provide their input about how we can further embrace sustainability in our buildings, operations, education, community outreach, and daily lives. Click here to download a presentation about SFS's carbon footprint (PDF, 12.8 MB). This section of our website contains information about this initiative, including:
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Updated May 10, 2008: 
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