How much does a school cost? It's a straightforward question, but the answer for many education administrators is a frustrating, "It depends." The cost of a school facility surely includes what an education institution pays for the building site, design plans, construction materials, workers who assemble the building, and furniture and equipment that fill the classrooms and other spaces. This article discusses why schools and universities that weigh the life-cycle costs of a building and its components are likely to come to different conclusions about how a project budget is allocated and which materials are used. This article talks about the importance of taking the time to incorporate sustainable strategies early in the planning process and making clear the long term benefits to the school in order to pursue a successful sustainable-design project.