A Green Gift

An anonymous donor has given Savannah County Day School in Savannah, Ga., a $3 million gift toward its new LEED-certified Lower School building. The gift is the largest in the history of Savannah County Day School. The $3 million is a challenge grant contingent on SCDS raising the remaining funds for the Lower School building by January 2009. To date, County Day has raised more than $6.5 million. An additional $7.6 million remains.

The anonymous grant will be used toward the construction of the new County Day Lower School, which will be the first school in Savannah to be LEED certified, meeting the standards of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

The construction process will use recycled materials, as well as lower-fume paints, coatings adhesives and carpets. The 52,500-square-foot building will house grades 1-5, the media center, science facilities and administration offices for the Lower School.

Construction is expected to begin in April, and the school hopes to begin classes there in August 2008.