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LAUSD Leads by Example on a Global Stage with AGZA Green Zone Certification01-31-23 | 10

LAUSD Leads by Example on a Global Stage with AGZA Green Zone Certification
LAUSD officially awarded Level 2 Certification
by Rebecca Radtke, LCMP

TLE-Anaheim-2025

Los Angeles, California - On April 21, 2025, the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) was officially awarded Level 2 AGZA Green Zone Certification - district-wide!

The award ceremony took place at the distinguished Belvedere Middle School campus in East Los Angeles and marked the culmination of a five-year sustainability effort led by Eddie Sanchez, Area Facilities Services Director of Maintenance and Operations; Manuel Enriquez, Operations Program Manager; and the American Green Zone Alliance (AGZA).

The journey to certification involved rigorous equipment testing across multiple brands of commercial battery-electric landscape equipment, comprehensive workforce training (including online courses, classroom instruction, and fieldwork with AGZA instructors), and full infrastructure upgrades. School district area managers, engineers, grounds maintenance crews, and equipment manufacturers all collaborated to establish charging infrastructure, retrofit work vans, create storage solutions, and redesign workflows to accommodate battery-powered technology.

The results are remarkable:

More than 2,100 pieces of gas-powered landscape maintenance equipment, including leaf blowers, line trimmers, hedge trimmers, edgers, and both large and small mowers, were retired across over 800 campuses, from elementary schools to high schools, and special facilities including daycare centers.

People, process, consistency, and patience became the mantra of this project. Egos were left at the door as everyone rallied around a common goal: building a cleaner, quieter, healthier environment for students, staff, and the broader community.

"This is the largest AGZA Green Zone Certification ever established. It was a team effort, and LAUSD should be tremendously proud of this simply massive achievement."

Dan Mabe, Founder and President of the American Green Zone Alliance

The LAUSD launched this effort from a deep commitment to becoming the greenest, most sustainable large urban school district in the nation - and possibly the world.

This project brings that vision to life while delivering wide-ranging benefits:
• A cleaner, quieter environment to enhance student health and learning
• Improved working conditions for grounds crews and staff
• Protection of natural resources and the environment
• Reduced operating costs
• Healthier, more efficient, and sustainable schools
• A stronger culture of environmental stewardship
LAUSD has introduced a powerful new paradigm.

The momentum and progressive leadership they've demonstrated are tangible and inspiring to stakeholders across the industry.

A critical aspect of AGZA Green Zone Certification is independent, verifiable data collection and impact analysis. Through AGZA's ELF (Environmental Landscape Footprint) reporting, overseen by Jamie Banks, AGZA Science Advisor and President of Quiet Communities, the project?EUR(TM)s environmental and economic benefits were meticulously documented.

The annual impact results are impressive:
• Elimination of 120 tons of toxic and carcinogenic emissions
• Elimination of nearly 900 tons of carbon dioxide - equivalent to the carbon sequestration of over 37,000 mature trees
• A 50% reduction in noise for workers - and even greater reductions for students, staff, and faculty