Three middle and three elementary schools in the Los Angeles district will receive $6 million in state funds to develop low-impact strategies for combating drought on their campuses.
The district says in a news release that the California Water Resources Controls Board selected the schools to take part in the state’s Drought Response Outreach Program for Schools (DROPS). The program seeks to create features--bioswales, permeable pavement, infiltration galleries, rain-gardens, and cisterna--that capture, treat, and infiltrate storm water into groundwater basins to mimic a natural watershed.
The six selected campuses are Belvedere, Normandie and Victory Elementary schools; and Markham, Northridge and Webster Middle schools.
The district’s Architectural and Engineering group and Sustainability Initiatives Unit had determined that the six schools were in critical need of site improvement with regard to drought mitigation.
The low impact development features chosen for each school will vary by campus and will include benefits that extend to the classroom and beyond, officials say. The features will serve as outdoor, experiential classrooms and learning laboratories that can be incorporated into the curriculum and activities at school.
