Five Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board schools have been certified as EcoSchools.

Pope John Paul II School in Barrie received Gold standing, while Foley Catholic School in Brechin, Patrick Fogarty Catholic Secondary School in Orillia, St. Joan of Arc High School in Barrie and St. Mary’s School in Barrie all received Silver.

The EcoSchools program is an environmental education program created by the province’s school boards to address how schools run and what students are learning.

The EcoSchool program uses benchmarks and a scoring system to assess schools in four areas: waste minimization, energy conservation, school ground greening and ecology literacy.