Chicago Public Schools (CPS) Maintains Gold Certification from Healthy Green Schools and Colleges

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CHICAGO - Chicago Public Schools (CPS) preserves its Gold Certification from the Healthy Green Schools & Colleges (HGSC) program for meeting rigorous national standards that promote healthier school indoor environments, cost-effective facility operations, and environmental responsibility.

The Gold Certification reinforces the District's commitment to providing clean, safe, and environmentally-sound learning spaces for its more than 315,000 students and 46,000 staff members across 522 campuses and 793 buildings.

"Maintaining this top-tier designation shows that the District remains vigilant when providing cutting edge resources to our schools," said CPS Chief Operating Officer Charles Mayfield. "We continuously strive to make sure schools are environmentally safe and sound."

Toward the end of the 2025 school year, the District achieved Gold Certification from the HGSC, making history as the first K-12 school district in the nation to reach this milestone in sustainable education facility management. With this certification, the District receives recognition on the HGSC website and prominently uses the HGSC certification mark.

As part of the Gold Certification, the HGSC mandates that CPS implement strategic measures regarding operations, staff training, indoor air quality management, procurement, HVAC and electrical system maintenance, water quality monitoring, and pest management. Facility managers, public health experts, and sustainability leaders across the country collaborate to curate the HGSC standard given to school districts across the country.

The District's work to modernize facilities through environmentally-responsible strategies helps maintain buildings that are, on average, more than 86 years old. These efforts align with Success 2029: Together We Rise, CPS's five-year strategic plan, to deliver equitable, high-quality learning experiences for every student. The Healthy Schools Campaign amalgamates education, health and sustainability.

This includes the streamlining of custodial services allowing the District to save approximately $40 million in annual costs, part of a total of $165 million identified to date in operational savings and cuts.

"The HGSC Gold Certification status allows the District to run much more efficiently when keeping any changes in schools student-centered," said CPS Facilities Chief Ivan Hansen. "The certification has been a big help in holding the District accountable when provided resources."

For more information regarding District facilities, visit the CPS website: https://www.cps.edu/about/departments/facilities-department/.