Whether solutions lie in Connolly's vision or another, workplace and ecological realities demand acceleration toward sensible school development, especially amidst economic turbulence. A 2006 study of 30 green schools across the country — including 11 here in Massachusetts — shows that, while such initiatives cost on average two percent more than conventional schools, they generate 20 times more financial benefits in the form of everything from water and emissions to asthma reduction and teacher retention. Sounds like a solution to more than a few of Boston's education issues.
"This academy is not going to come out of [next year's] budget," says Connolly. "But I want to push the preliminary work now so that when we hit better economic times we're ready to hit the ground running. This is incredibly important; truthfully, I would like to see this done even if we're in bad financial times."
Chris Faraone can be reached at cfaraone[a]phx.com.
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