Cascade School District named Washington Green Ribbon School District

LEAVENWORTH – Cascade School District (CSD) has been recognized as a Green Ribbon School District for reducing its environmental impact, improving health and wellness, and providing effective environmental and sustainability education. 

CSD was the only district to be selected by the Washington State Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) for 2025. It is the third school district east of the Cascades to ever be chosen, according to OSPI Director of Elementary Education Content Denise Davis. As a state finalist, the school district will be forwarded to the U.S. Department of Education, who will select national award recipients.

On May 6, CSD invited representatives from OSPI and the Association of Washington School Principals to tour the school district’s environmental initiatives. Community partners who have assisted with such initiatives also joined, including representatives from Waste Loop, Winton Manufacturing Compost Works, the City of Leavenworth, Upper Valley MEND, and Pacific Education Institute.

During the celebration, CSD Superintendent Tracey Edou explained how the school district’s conscious focus on the outdoors took off in 2019, when the high school Sustainability Club asked the district to look at making changes, such as discontinuing the use of sporks and improving recycling. As it considered the changes, it was also receiving feedback during its strategic planning process that the outdoors were a core value of the community.

“So when the board adopted our strategic framework in 2020, “the outdoors” was on it….We had to ask the question, ‘How do you take the word “outdoors,” and how do you put it into action? What does that look like?’ And that led us on so many pathways,” said Edou.

The school district prioritized outdoor learning, such as improving the Rattlesnake Hill trail behind Icicle River Middle School, utilizing Kiwanis Park as an outdoor classroom for Peshastin-Dryden Elementary, and rebuilding a greenhouse at Cascade High School. To minimize its environmental footprint, the district enrolled in a composting program with bear proof cans, installed a propane fuel station at the transportation department, and got rid of sporks.

“Cascade [School District] is definitely leading the way. Your commitment to place-based learning is impressive, and environmental education, it's a model. You guys are a model,” said Davis.

While visiting, Washington School Principals' Education Foundation Managing Director Greg Barker presented CSD with a $10,000 check to support the district’s continued work in outdoor education.

“It definitely doesn't pay the bills, but [it’s] a small recognition of all this great work that you're doing,” said Barker.

Taylor Caldwell: 509-433-7276 or taylor@ward.media