Runnemede, NJ-Rep. Donald Norcross (NJ-01) today announced Triton Regional High School in Runnemede, Camden County, has been selected as a U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon School.

Triton Regional High School is one of only five schools in New Jersey to be chosen for the honor, which recognizes schools for their efforts to protect & preserve the environment thorough projects & awareness, and for improving the health and wellness of schools, students, and staff.

“What a great way for us to celebrate this Earth Day! The students and staff at Triton Regional High School haven’t just ‘gone green,’ they’re leading the rest of the state and the nation by their good example on how to be responsible stewards for the planet. I applaud them for all their hard work,” said Rep. Norcross.

Among the achievements of Triton students and administrators: the production of a video for usage on the school’s newscasts to an audience of 1,175 students on how to compost, growing vegetables in a greenhouse that were then distributed to neighboring districts for school meals, and the creation of an organic garden on school grounds. Triton Regional High School, which is 246,000 square feet and built in 1957, features LED (Light Emitting Diode) lighting and recently installed new boilers to reduce the school’s carbon footprint. The school also received an Energy Star rating which makes it 86% more efficient than other school buildings in North America.

“It’s an honor to receive this award. I have to credit my students and faculty for the time and effort they put into learning how to protect our environment. I’m proud of them all ,” said Melissa Sheppard, Principal of Triton Regional High School.

Triton Regional High School is the second school in the Black Horse Pike Regional School District to receive the Green Ribbon distinction in as many years. Timber Creek High School in Sicklerville was a 2015 Green Ribbon School honoree.

The four other New Jersey schools to be recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as Green Ribbon Schools this year are: Whitehouse School in Whitehouse Station, Egg Harbor Township High School in Egg Harbor Township, Essex County West Caldwell Tech in West Caldwell, and Raritan Valley Community College in North Branch. Read the entire U.S. Department of Education announcement here.

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Congressman Donald Norcross is a member of the House Armed Services Committee and the House Budget Committee, and serves as Assistant Whip in the 114^th Congress.