WARRENVILLE, Ill. (March 22, 2010) – For the second consecutive year, America will be able to vote for the most deserving school as part of the search for America’s Greenest School. Ten finalists have been selected from a pool of entries from nearly 1,600 students nationwide that tout how their schools are committed to being environmentally friendly.

Between now and April 2, the public can vote online at www.AmericasGreenestSchool.com to view entries from the ten finalists and select their favorite.

The finalists are:
• Clarkstown High School North -- New City, N.Y.
• Congers Elementary School -- Congers, N.Y.
• Farnsley Middle School -- Louisville, Ky.
• Harvard-Westlake School -- Los Angeles, Calif.
• Kathleen E. Goodwin Elementary School/Old Saybrook Middle School -- Old Saybrook, Conn.
• Plummer Motz School – Falmouth, Maine
• South Shore Charter Public School – Norwell, Mass.
• Stivers School for the Arts – Dayton, Ohio
• Talbert Middle School – Beach, Calif.
• Walnut Elementary Education Center – Turlock, Calif. 

 “All of the students who entered should be proud of their commitment to the environment,” said Summer Sanders, an Olympic gold medalist who helped kick off the campaign. “Going green can start at home, but also plays an important role at school. America can vote for the school they think is most deserving of the title – maybe even before they turn off their computers for Earth Hour.”

Entries were judged on creativity and how well they embraced the spirit of their school’s commitment to the environment. The ten finalist entries include seven videos, two songs and an essay.

The winning school will receive a hybrid school bus from IC Bus, the nation’s largest school bus manufacturer. Each hybrid school bus can increase the fuel efficiency of standard school buses by up to 65 percent and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 40 percent. The hybrid bus has an estimated retail value of $150,000. The school will also receive a green audit of their school from a LEED Accredited Professional and approximately $20,000 for their school to use toward additional green improvements to the school. The student or students who submitted the winning entry will win or share a $3,000 scholarship. 

“The bar was raised this year in terms of thoughtful, creative entries,” said David Hillman, global marketing director for IC Bus and a contest judge. “It is clear to us that there are so many students and teachers that make environmental responsibility in schools a daily priority and we’re happy to recognize them for their efforts.”  

Riding a school bus is one great way to help the environment. Here are a few green facts from the American School Bus Council that can be found on www.AmericasGreenestSchool.com:

• One school bus has the capacity to take 36 cars off the road, for a total of 17.3 million cars a year.
• More than 26 million children ride the school bus daily, saving 2.3 billion gallons of fuel each year.
• If an additional 10 percent of children rode school buses, it could save another 300 million gallons of fuel annually.
• School bus models made in 2007 or later incorporate newer engine technology and are 60 times cleaner than those built before 1990
• The daily fuel cost to transport a child to school is $3.68 for a private vehicle, but only 73 cents if that child rides a school bus.

About IC Bus
IC Bus, LLC, of Warrenville, IL, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Navistar, Inc. (NYSE: NAV). The nation’s largest integrated manufacturer of school buses, IC Bus is a global leader in passenger protection, chassis design, engines and ergonomics. The company is also a producer of commercial buses. All IC Bus™ brand buses are sold, serviced and supported through a renowned dealer network that offers an integrated customer program encompassing parts, training and service. Additional information is available at icbus.com.