Simply Green, a report from the Center for Digital Government, outlines a "a few steps in the right direction toward integrating sustainability into public sector IT." School computing environments, and the environment of those who attend the school, may benefit from the advice provided.

The report outlines four steps: 

Step 1: Rules and Regulations: Examining policy to spell out the expectations that government has of itself and others in environmental stewardship.

Step 2: Operational Optimization: Running cleaner, cooler and cheaper from the data center to the farthest reaches of the organization may make green the last best chance to stay out of the red.

Step 3: Acquisition and Disposal of Technology: How to keep old technology out of landfills and an embrace green-built technology.

Step 4: Home as the New Workplace: With much of government's carbon footprint consumed in the commute, the greening of IT may finally motivate government to allow people to work at home.

That last step may seem irrelevant to all but rural schools. However, if families in the workforce gains flexibility at home, they will ask the same from schools.

Source: Simply Green, by the Center for Digital Government