Work is expected to begin next spring on a new elementary school in Berkeley County that officials say will be West Virginia's first "green" public school.

State School Building Authority Executive Director Mark A. Manchin said the Spring Mills school will be a prototype for the rest of West Virginia.

The school will be designed to meet certification standards in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design green building rating system. Manchin says none of the state's existing public schools have been certified.

Building systems being considered include water faucets that turn themselves off and a geothermal-based heating and cooling system.