Fairport pilots elementary composting program with Impact Earth; students lead green initiative

District staff and students briefed the Fairport Central School District Board of Education on an elementary-school composting pilot and related sustainability education during the meeting.

Superintendent Provenzano and district staff credited student environmental groups and a community partner, Impact Earth, with advancing the pilot. A Northside elementary school waste audit found that about 48% of its waste could be composted, staff reported. The district said each elementary school either has a green team or an environmental club involved in the effort.

A representative of the JA Go Green Club told the board, "We have an excited proposition to reduce the amount of garbage a school produces. We believe composting is the best solution to this problem." District staff described training for students and cafeteria staff, the use of signage to help young students sort waste, and plans to expand composting from elementary schools up through middle and high schools. Impact Earth representatives will collect compost and return processed compost in the spring to support school gardens, staff said.

Why it matters: The pilot aims to reduce waste and provide hands-on environmental education for elementary students; the school district framed the project as aligned with its priorities and as a low-barrier sustainable practice that can scale.

Implementation details and context - Northside conducted a waste audit showing approximately 48% of waste could be composted. - Impact Earth provides in-school instruction, follow-up checks and will return compost for use in school gardens. - The district provided smaller compost buckets in kitchens and signage to reduce sorting errors and make composting routine for staff and students.

District leaders said plans call for rolling composting practices upward through middle and high schools after the elementary rollout.