CHPS joins USGBC’s Center for Green Schools in landmark partnership to strengthen support for healthy, high-performance educational facilities nationwide

In a transformative move for the sustainable schools sector, the Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) is becoming part of USGBC, marking a significant milestone in the evolution of green building standards for educational facilities. This strategic transition brings together two industry leaders to create an unprecedented platform for advancing healthy, sustainable, and high-performance schools across the United States.

Strategic Partnership Built on Shared Vision

To build on a 20-year commitment to supporting U.S. schools, CHPS is becoming part of the Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). This partnership leverages the complementary strengths of both organizations to create a comprehensive approach to sustainable school design and operation, while ensuring continuity for existing stakeholders.

Transition Timeline and Support: Projects registered with CHPS will have two years to complete verification, with CHPS Designed, Verified, and Verified Leader certifications available until June 30, 2027. Current CHPS members will automatically receive proportional USGBC memberships, and projects transitioning to LEED will maintain CHPS pricing until certification completion.

Enhanced LEED for Schools Framework

The organizations are integrating CHPS criteria into LEED’s priority credit library, leveraging substantial overlap in energy efficiency, indoor air quality, daylighting, and resource stewardship. This creates enhanced pathways for schools seeking comprehensive green building certification while maintaining K-12-specific performance standards that have made CHPS successful.

A new collaborative for green school design excellence will convene K-12 districts and building industry stakeholders to translate research, create practical tools, and set ambitious goals for sustainable educational facilities.

Opportunities for Building Services Professionals

This transition creates significant opportunities for streamlined project delivery and enhanced certification strategies, including:

  • Schools seeking LEED for Schools certification with enhanced K-12-specific criteria
  • Districts completing existing CHPS projects through the two-year transition period
  • New projects leveraging combined expertise of both rating systems
  • Integrated approaches maximizing comprehensive green building benefits

The integration provides clarity for long-term planning while creating opportunities for enhanced technical support, with CHPS experts continuing to provide specialized guidance throughout the transition.

ID360: Your Partner for LEED for Schools Success

As schools navigate this transition, ID360 provides comprehensive LEED for Schools consulting services to help educational institutions maximize the benefits of sustainable building certification. Our experienced team of sustainable building professionals understands the unique requirements of educational facilities and can guide schools through:

  • LEED for Schools certification strategy development tailored to the school district’s goals and budget
  • Transition planning for schools currently pursuing or considering CHPS certification
  • Integrated design coordination to optimize building performance and certification outcomes
  • Policy development to support sustainable building requirements and funding strategies

Our expertise in LEED, CHPS, WELL, and CALGreen standards positions us to help schools achieve maximum environmental and educational benefits while navigating the evolving landscape of green building certifications.

The Path Forward

The integration of CHPS into USGBC’s Center for Green Schools creates a unified platform for advancing environmental performance and occupant wellbeing in educational facilities. This transition represents both an opportunity and responsibility to ensure every school project advances integrated sustainability goals while maintaining the specialized focus that has driven the green schools movement.

For building services professionals and school districts, this alignment creates the foundation for accelerated progress in educational facility excellence, combining proven expertise with expanded resources to make high-performance, healthy schools the standard rather than the exception.

Ready to maximize your school’s sustainability potential? ID360’s LEED for Schools consulting services can help your district navigate this transition and achieve comprehensive green building certification.

Contact ID360 today to discuss how we can support your school’s journey toward LEED for Schools certification and sustainable facility excellence. Learn More About Our LEED Consulting Services →