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Records show the school is using 38 percent less energy per square foot than the average Montgomery County Public School. Based on last year's energy rates, the school is spending about $24,500 less per year on electricity and natural gas than schools without its green building features, according to MCPS records.

"It actually does work," Interim Principal Donna M. Sagona said of the environmentally conscious design. "In this economy, you want to save every way you can."

The U.S. Green Building Council certified Great Seneca Creek as the first "green" public school in Maryland in 2007. The school initially received a silver certification, but school and district officials later succeeded in obtaining the more prestigious gold certification.

"We calculated the amount of points for Great Seneca and found we were only a few points away from the gold and decided it would take only a little extra effort, and we decided to go for it," said Karen D. Anderson , green program manager for MCPS.

Amy Upton, director of environmental design with Grimm and Parker Architects in Bethesda, the school's architects, said the changes involved submitting additional paperwork and installing a $100 occupancy sensor in one room to shut off lights when no one is present.

The building's design incorporates innovations such as cabinets made from wheatboard, a material derived from recycled wheat grass. Geothermal technology heats and cools the building. Sloping ceilings allow more light, thus reducing the need for electricity. No flush and low water flow plumbing equipment limit excessive water use.

The building's design serves as a constant reminder to students and employees to minimize their electricity and water use. The attention to personal responsibility shows up in savings of $2,500 a year in water and sewer charges, an average of 43 percent less than elementary schools, according to MCPS.

The use of lights and other electrical devices is kept to a minimum by teachers and students.

"It's a way of life for the kids. It's the way we do things here," Sagona said.

Sagona said the school's engineering and architecture illustrates important principles about the natural environment.

Fifth-grader Hannah Lee, 11, confidently explained the advantages of the slanted ceilings.

"The slanted ceiling is so more light comes in and light bounces off the tables and around the classroom so people can see better," she said.

The wheatboard used in the cabinets is manufactured from wheatgrass that can be replenished every growing season instead of over the decades it takes to grow a tree, she said.

"Our joke is we don't knock on wood. We knock on wheatboard," Sagona said.

The public money saved by the design represents the most tangible advantage, but the school also serves as an important showcase for a way of living that shows respect for the natural world, Sagona said.

" I'm really proud of the county for doing this," she said. "It shows it can be done."