Schools built 30 years ago reflected an energy crisis that compelled the nation to conserve resources.

"When I was growing up in the 1970s, a lot of schools were built," said Armando de Leon, assistant superintendent for operations for Henrico County Public Schools. "They took the old prison approach -- no windows, very few doors."

As the cost of oil is setting records again, schools are taking a different approach to their buildings. The trend now is to build "green" schools that are environmentally friendly and energy-efficient, which leads to lower costs in the long run.

That means schools with good lighting, indoor air quality and temperature control -- features shown to reduce illness and improve student performance.

Nearly a dozen new schools are scheduled to open in the Richmond area this fall. Many will include elements of green building.

"There is more and more research that green buildings have a lot of impact on schools, from absenteeism and teacher retention to student achievement," said William S. Bradley, an architect and president of Virginia Educational Facility Planners.

A 2005 study of green schools in Washington state by Paladino & Co., a green-building consultant, estimated a 15 percent reduction in absenteeism and a 5 percent gain on student test scores.

Kersey Creek Elementary School, which opened in Hanover County in fall 2006, was the first in the Richmond area to receive certification from the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program. The cost, including the building and site work, was $15.9 million.

Laurel Meadow Elementary School, which opens this fall off Lee Davis Road, will be nearly identical to Kersey Creek, said Paul Carper, director of construction and planning for Hanover schools. Laurel Meadow will cost $16.5 million.

Both schools have features such as exterior lighting fixtures designed to reduce light pollution at night, water-efficient plumbing fixtures, building materials made with recycled content, and paints, carpet, sealants and adhesives with low chemical emissions.

Windows made of low-emission glass allow the sun's heat and light into the building while reducing heat loss and energy used to heat the building. Classrooms and offices have light fixtures controlled by motion sensors and switches that help conserve electricity.

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Constructing such schools can cost more, but advocates say the savings in operational and maintenance costs will surpass that difference. According to the Green Building Council and a 2006 study, green schools cost less than 2 percent, or about $3 per square foot, more to build than conventional schools but, on average, use 33 percent less energy and save $100,000 per year.

For instance, Kersey Creek's restrooms have waterless urinals that save an estimated 775 gallons a day and low-flow sinks that save an estimated 1,163 gallons a day, contributing to a 41 percent reduction in water use. The building is expected to reduce energy use by 27 percent over a comparable school, according to the building's designer, Moseley Architects.

Henrico Public Schools is finalizing plans for a $59 million high school off Staples Mill Road and Interstate 295 that will be the first in the county to seek Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification. It is scheduled to open in fall 2010.

"There's one thing about building something and what the cost might be, but we're looking at all of our new schools based on a life-cycle cost," de Leon said.

Schools have changed in other ways as well, said A.K. "Vijay" Ramnarain and Hunter Barnes, architectural consultants for the Virginia Department of Education's Office of School Facilities Services.

Technology has affected school design.

"At one time, putting a TV with a video player on a cart and moving it from class to class was a big technology tool," Ramnarain said.

"Now it's almost a given that every classroom that's being built will have a monitor mounted on the wall. They're wired for access to the Internet and everything."

Chalkboards are long gone, replaced by projected computer images, Barnes said. While it once was predicted that schools wouldn't need libraries, they're now becoming the information hub of the school, he said.

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With programming, government mandates and student behavior evolving, schools need to be flexible as well as sustainable.

"Architects learn do's and don'ts from the past, what has worked and what has not worked," Ramnarain said. "The simpler the design and the more flexible it is, I think the more functional it is. It has a longer shelf life."

A coming challenge, Bradley said, will be finding ways to manage existing schools that have exceeded their life expectancy.

Of the approximately 1,800 K-12 public school buildings in Virginia, more than 1,200 are 40 years or older, Ramnarain said.

That requires juggling the old with the new.

"We have to balance our funding between new construction to make sure we have seats for every child and renovation to make sure our older schools are up to par," de Leon said.

Contact Melodie N. Martin at (804) 649-6290 or mmartin@timesdispatch.com.