Buckingham County Public Schools won first place in the state for “going green.”

The school system is one of three chosen as winners for the Virginia School Board Association’s (VSBA) Green Schools Challenge. Buckingham was selected for first place among participating schools with a student population below 5,000.

“Buckingham certainly is proud of this accomplishment,” Superintendent Dr. Cecil Snead said.

The VSBA presented the award to the BCPS school board at the organization’s annual conference in Williamsburg on Nov. 16.

A VSBA press release described the challenge as “a friendly competition designed to encourage implementation of specific environmental policies and practical actions that reduce the carbon emissions generated by both the local school division and the broader community.”

This is the seventh year VSBA has held the challenge, sponsored by Moseley Architects and ABM Building & Energy Solutions.

In addition to the three first-place winners — Buckingham, Culpeper and Albermarle public schools — 29 schools were recognized as being Certified Green School Divisions.

By implementing new actions and adopting new policies, the school divisions were able to achieve “green points,” according to the release. School systems were categorized as being green, silver, gold or platinum certified depending on how many points they earned.

Buckingham, in addition to placing first, was awarded Platinum Certification, meaning the school earned between 175 and 200 “green points.”

“There are many facets of our green program: student involvement, policy creation and implementation, Gold LEED certified building design, energy saving contracts, and general green practices,” Snead said.

He said student involvement in the schools’ recycling programs has grown “significantly” during recent years through participation in ecology clubs at each school.

Paper and aluminum recycling efforts, in addition to recently added cardboard recycling, has grown so much that the middle and high schools each have their own bins stationed at the schools, Snead said.

“The elementary school delivers its recycling to the high school bin,” he added.

He said Buckingham County schools also partner with the Peter Francisco Soil and Water Conservation District to offer more opportunities to students. They are able to participate in events such as an envirothon — “a team-based natural resources competition for high school students.”

Buckingham’s team placed second this past year during its inaugural effort.

“Conservation Education Awards are also a part of our partnership with the Peter Francisco SWCD in addition to classroom presentations,” Snead said, adding that Buckingham students also participate in an eyeglass-recycling project and that primary and elementary students participate in outdoor classroom projects. The Buckingham JROTC program has joined in on the Green program by adopting roads where students conduct trash pick-ups.

“We use 100 percent renewable plantation fiber in our paper products,” Snead said.

The VSBA also recognized Prince Edward County Public Schools with a silver certificate for earning between 125 and 249 “green points.”