Local School District One of 14 in Nation to Win Green Ribbon Award

The Prior Lake-Savage Area School District is one of 14 districts in the nation—and the only in Minnesota—to earn formal recognition from the U.S. Department of Education for its environmental efforts.

The district and one of its elementaries, Jeffers Pond, were honored with the second annual Green Ribbon Schools awards for their efforts to "cut utility costs, implement smart conservation strategies and cultivate healthy and productive classrooms," the education department announced Monday.

“Minnesota has a rich environmental tradition and outdoor heritage embedded in our history, and it’s fitting that our schools play a significant role in carrying on that tradition,“ the state's education commissioner, Brenda Cassellius, said in a statement. “I’m so proud of the work these schools are doing. Not only are they teaching students to be better stewards of the earth, but they are putting those lessons into practice in their school buildings.”

The national list of 64 schools and 14 districts was chosen by state education agencies.