A growing number of studies show that a school's physical condition--especially its lighting and indoor air quality--directly affect student performance. A 2005 Turner Construction survey of green buildings found that 70 percent of districts with sustainable schools reported improved student performance. It also makes perfect sense that eco-friendly schools affect absenteeism, teacher-retention rates, and health-care costs. This article discusses the benefits of going eco-friendly schools and features Great Seneca Creek Elementary School in Germantown, Maryland, which has hosted more than two dozen tours for administrators, architects, parents, and the media--just about anyone who is interested in studying its environmentally-friendly ways. The school's 296,000-square-foot building--which runs on wind and solar power and boasts an irrigation pond--recently earned a silver rating from the U.S. Green Building Council's (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System, a rigorous set of national standards for environmentally sustainable construction.