Ruffing Montessori School in Cleveland Heights is building a new high-performance school that will include a green roof planted by the students, classroom gardens, natural day lighting, improved air quality, efficient geo-thermal heating and cooling, a rainwater collection system, solar tubes to capture daylight, and other high-efficiency design techniques. The school also will use only green products and practices in building maintenance.

"The Montessori philosophy and sustainability are natural partners and offer children an expanded view of our interdependence," says head of school Gordon Maas.