CHPS' legacy

CHPS has had a lasting impact on the green schools movement across the country as well as in many local communities.  This includes the certification of over 800 school projects under the CHPS Criteria, the development of numerous state and District policies and programs for green schools and a positive impact on the learning environments and lives of countless students, teachers and community members.  USGBC will build on this success and continue the mission of creating healthy, sustainable, high performance learning environments for all students.

Founded in 1999 by California state agencies and major utilities

  • Over 800 CHPS projects nationwide

  • 70+ school districts have used CHPS

  • 4 of the top 25 largest school districts require CHPS

  • 11 states have a state-specific version of CHPS

  • CHPS has influenced policy at the state level

    • CHPS influenced California building code for schools including CALGreen

    • Washington state used CHPS as the basis for their required Washington Sustainable Schools Protocol (WSSP)

    • Rhode Island Requires CHPS

    • Massachusetts and Colorado provide state funding for CHPS projects

  • Published a series of National Best Practice Manuals for high performance school construction from 2001 to 2010.

  • Starting in 2011, CHPS created 5 regionally specific criteria sets for Virginia, Texas, Hawaii, California, and the Northeast.

  • In 2016 CHPS created the first national criteria set that could be used throughout the U.S.

  • Published a School Ventilation for Covid-19 white paper in 2021

  • Established the Operations Report Card for existing schools

  • Created a CHPS Pre-approved materials database 

  • Continually guided by a Board of Directors composed of school district staff, architects, manufacturers, consultants, academics and NGOs.

Since 2021

  • CHPS was invited to facilitate a breakout group at the White House Summit on Sustainable K-12 School Buildings and Grounds

  • CHPS Staff have been invited to speak at over 15 events, including the National Healthy Schools Summit two years in a row.

  • Hosted a School Safety Summit in 2022

  • Co-hosted a High Performance Building Summit in 2023 with School Superintendents Association (AASA) and government procurement partner Sourcewell.

  • Launched the Minor Renovation Program in 2024

  • Launched the Raise the Floor Campaign in 2024 ultimately leading to the merger with the Center for Green Schools

  • CHPS joined the Board of the Build America’s School Infrastructure Coalition (BASIC) 

  • Awarded a contract with the National Association of State Energy Officers (NASEO)