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A video from The Trust for Public Land shows an outdoor thermometer climbing to 120 degrees as it’s held above the slide at a schoolyard under the BART tracks in Oakland’s Fruitvale neighborhood. The students talk about how they get burned when they sit on the slide and don’t want to go outside because it’s too bright.
It doesn’t have to be this way. If California is serious about meeting its carbon reduction goals, our K-12 schools must be viewed as partners in this critical work. The California Air Resources Board, or CARB, can help by dedicating California Climate Investments funds from the Cap and Trade program to making our schools more resilient to challenges like extreme heat.
Since 2013, more than 20 state agencies have appropriated nearly $12 billion from Cap and Trade to a range of projects across the state.
While a small amount of this funding has gone to K-12 schools, there is no intentional strategy beyond electric school buses that ensures schools have the technical and financial resources to shore up their buildings and grounds to combat climate change. To access these funds, districts must prepare separate grant applications to the plethora of programs being operated through these state agencies.
During the many years I have worked with local governments on California’s energy and environment policies, including 12 years on the Oakland Unified school board, I have seen how the patchwork approach to allocating funds disadvantages school districts. Most districts do not have the technical expertise and staff resources to track and apply for these grants.
As the Air Resources Board contemplates how to design the fourth three-year investment plan, it should set funds aside specifically for K-12 schools. California should direct funds to two high-impact initiatives that can help public schools be more resilient to our changing climate.
In Oakland, we were fortunate that two nonprofit organizations took the lead on pursuing grants for green schoolyard projects at a handful of schools in neighborhoods that are considered “disadvantaged” under the CalEnviroScreen tool. Their success has led to an ongoing partnership with the school district and a commitment to developing a districtwide green schoolyard master plan.
But most districts do not have the staff to pursue grants for solar energy, green schoolyards and similar initiatives or a member of their school board who works professionally on these issues and can provide guidance and help forge such connections. That does not mean there is not a keen interest in California’s schools in being part of the solution to addressing climate change.
The California Air Resources Board has a golden opportunity to help California’s schools become more resilient to the impacts of extreme heat, drought, rising sea levels and wildfires. The new climate investment plan should establish a fund that allows all schools to model for the next generation how to be good stewards of the environment.
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Jody London served on the Oakland Unified School District board from 2009-2020. She has worked on climate issues since the mid-1980s, and since 2016 has been the sustainability coordinator for a Bay Area local government.
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The system has enrolled more in-state residents, but not enough to meet targets set by the state.
Two prominent organizations say the proposal would dismantle progress made to improve reading instruction for those students.
Fresno City College professor Tom Boroujeni is unable to fulfill his duties as academic senate president while on leave, the latest update reads.
This is a continuing EdSource series on proven innovations in higher education that relate to the problems facing California’s higher education systems.
Comments (4)
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Alisa MacAvoy 3 years ago3 years ago
Thanks Jody. I totally agree with you. We need CA to step up and support school districts with dedicated funding to prepare for climate changes. We can be a resource to the community with adequate funding. Love the idea of greening all schools and playgrounds, including adding renewable energy production and battery storage to enable schools to stay open during power outages. We also need to update all ventilation systems to ensure we can stay … Read More
Thanks Jody. I totally agree with you. We need CA to step up and support school districts with dedicated funding to prepare for climate changes. We can be a resource to the community with adequate funding. Love the idea of greening all schools and playgrounds, including adding renewable energy production and battery storage to enable schools to stay open during power outages.
We also need to update all ventilation systems to ensure we can stay open on smoke days. We just learned during the pandemic how important it is for the economy and our students to be in person learning at school in settings that are healthy and safe.
Alice Sung 3 years ago3 years ago
Yes, Jody, you know we both have been saying this for many years; totally agreed and more! Perhaps it's time we all get back together to see how we can bring not just CPUC-controlled investments, but align both public (state, and other) private and non-profit/academic institution actions to build capacity and support for the State and Districts to transform our Pre-K-12 education systems into sustainable, resilient, "Zero Carbon" Public School Districts, … Read More
Yes, Jody, you know we both have been saying this for many years; totally agreed and more! Perhaps it’s time we all get back together to see how we can bring not just CPUC-controlled investments, but align both public (state, and other) private and non-profit/academic institution actions to build capacity and support for the State and Districts to transform our Pre-K-12 education systems into sustainable, resilient, “Zero Carbon” Public School Districts, beginning with those schools in most impacted communities with those students/families most in need, @chpsnews.
Gina Cuclis 3 years ago3 years ago
Jody makes excellent points. Our state can’t possibly meet its greenhouse gas reduction goals without including the climate resiliency needs of our TK-12 schools. I would add that safe routes to schools also need to be in the mix so that children can ride bikes and walk to school safely.
Kira Gould 3 years ago3 years ago
This is exactly the kind of thinking that needs to be applied now ... bringing sustainability and resilience into K-12 schools where we can. Thinking about and planning for schools as a community resource that can be ready for any/all climate conditions is smart foresight – good for kids, families, the districts, and the regional economy. This is holistic thinking. We are part of a system and we need to start employing solutions like this … Read More
This is exactly the kind of thinking that needs to be applied now … bringing sustainability and resilience into K-12 schools where we can. Thinking about and planning for schools as a community resource that can be ready for any/all climate conditions is smart foresight – good for kids, families, the districts, and the regional economy. This is holistic thinking. We are part of a system and we need to start employing solutions like this that would enable us (and our school facilities) to start behaving that way.