For the second consecutive year, a Lawrence public school is the recipient of the Governor’s Energy Achievement Recognition Award for Energy Leadership.

Jared Comfort, Schwegler School principal, led the elementary students through a year of environmentally friendly fundraisers and activities.

“It’s a nice award and I think it’s reflective of not only my efforts, but the entire school community,” he said.

The school conducts fundraisers that include selling energy-efficient light bulbs, lawn and leaf composting bags, and reusable organic cotton grocery bags.

Lars Leon, the PTA president for the 2007-2008 school year, helped spearhead the green movement as the school was celebrating its 50th anniversary last year.

“We want the kids to think about, well, what do they need to do to help their community live for the next 50 years?” Leon said in an interview last year at the beginning of his tenure.

Comfort echoed his sentiments on doing more than just getting students to sell things. “It’s more about what can we teach kids while we raise money and while we do the activities,” he said. “What can we teach kids about how to be good citizens and how to be friendly to their future?”

Schwegler students also took part in Art in the Sky last November, a project by artist Daniel Dancer, creating a living piece of art called the “Tree of Knowledge.”

“With that we just really started gelling an environmental theme, getting the kids to think about what they can do to help the environment,” Leon said in April of this year.

Comfort thinks students will look back at their time at Schwegler and see how they grew into conscientious consumers.

“They’ll think back to these experiences and realize the impact that they’ve had on others and I think it will truly, for them, be rewarding,” he said.

Last year, Southwest Junior High won the Governor’s Award for its Solar 4R Schools project, which provided the school and community with a demonstration solar panel system and for its leadership in adding energy issues into its curriculum.