First gentleman visits Longmont school to learn about sustainability efforts

November 15, 2019, 12:00am  |  St Vrain Valley School District
By John Marinelli, Times-Call

On the same day that Gov. Jared Polis issued a proclamation establishing Colorado Recycles Week, his husband and first gentleman Marlon Reis visited Eagle Crest Elementary in Longmont to see what a more sustainable and environmentally friendly school looks like.

“At the state level we’re working on bettering our practices, too,” said Reis after taking a tour of the school and learning what it’s done to reduce waste. “We’re in the middle of the learning process, so I want to let you guys know that I learn the most from kids.

“It’s wonderful, because your enthusiasm spreads to grown-ups much easier than it does from other grown-ups.”

The school, which has been part of Ecocycle’s Green Star program since 2009, composts in addition to recycling, and currently diverts two-thirds of its waste away from landfills. There are 54 schools in the Boulder Valley area that are part of the program, with 15 of them in St. Vrain Valley School District, according to Kim Orr, Eco-Cycle’s Green Star Schools program manager.

St. Vrain Valley Schools