Lake Washington School District launches sustainability roadmap process, selects Greenlink

Lake Washington School District officials on March 3 updated the school board on early work to implement the district's new sustainability policy, called Operational Expectation 9 (OE 9), and said they selected Greenlink to develop a multi‑phase sustainability roadmap.

The presentation, given by Hannah Jungren, the district's sustainability and resource conservation manager, summarized actions taken in 2024 and immediate next steps in 2025, including launching a greenhouse gas inventory and continued community engagement.

OE 9, adopted by the district in 2024, directs efforts to reduce and mitigate environmental impacts of district operations, enhance resilience to future environmental impacts, prepare students for a sustainable future and equip staff to support those efforts. Jungren said the district is implementing OE 9 through multiple efforts, notably a Food Services Sustainability Roadmap (FSSR) created in response to state requirements tied to HB 1799, an organics management law.

"One of the things that really appealed to me at this particular position ... is the need to really enhance and work upon the knowledge of our students," Jungren said. "It is really my job to work myself out of a job, out of a job to make sure that future generations have the common vernacular of sustainability and resource conservation." Jungren said the district also received an electric bus grant in 2024.

Jungren described two phases of the FSSR and listed the roadmap contractor selection as an action completed late last year and early 2025. "We selected our contractor Greenlink," she said, and noted Greenlink's prior work with the district on the FSSR as well as the firm's experience advising school systems nationally. Jungren named Karen Goldman and Anthony de Guzman as Greenlink contacts with prior large‑district experience.

Greenlink's work will proceed in two broad phases, Jungren said: develop a sustainability and resource conservation action plan outlining reduction and mitigation strategies and educational alignment; then analyze priorities including cost‑benefit and capacity studies, resource availability, equity analysis and stakeholder priorities.

Board members and other participants asked several questions during a roughly hour‑long presentation and discussion. A student who identified himself as James asked whether the district was tracking data on global emissions impacts; Jungren responded, "to my knowledge right now we don't have that information. That is going to be part of a sustainability roadmap though to see how we are impacting versus how we can change in the future."

Directors pressed for timelines and for more specifics about implementation. Vice President Guthrie asked about a timeline for the action plan; Jungren said Greenlink is beginning work immediately, will visit the district the same week and the sustainability advisory committee will meet again the following Thursday. Superintendent Holman said Jungren will be working side‑by‑side with Greenlink so the district can better shape recommendations and implementation plans.

Jungren also described current school‑level initiatives the district plans to support, including Eastlake High School’s metalware utensil program, Lake Washington High School students designing waste receptacles, Tesla STEM High School solar projects and multiple waste audits. She said the district's sustainability advisory committee includes about 30 members: roughly one‑third students, one‑third staff and one‑third parents and PTSA members.

Board members raised operational limits to implementing some recommendations from the FSSR — for example, some schools lack facilities such as dishwashers or washing machines. Jungren and Holman said the roadmap will include implementation planning and will distinguish aspirational recommendations from immediately achievable actions.

Jungren outlined immediate next steps as: continued community engagement, development of the district sustainability roadmap with Greenlink, and beginning a greenhouse gas inventory. No formal board vote on the Greenlink contract or the roadmap was recorded in the March 3 meeting transcript.

The board's sustainability discussion concluded before an extended study session with Redmond officials began later in the evening.