109 degrees on the first day of school? Extreme heat is delaying when some students go back
Climate change is heating up the back-to-school season. Some districts hope that pushing back the first day could reduce heat-related cancellations and risks to student health.
Yolo County Office of Education Launches School Resiliency and Sustainability Project
The Yolo County Office of Education launched its groundbreaking Schools Resiliency and Sustainability Project, marking a significant milestone in sustainable education practices.
Teachers and activists are rebuilding crumbling schools with sustainable retrofits
Students and teachers experience the challenges of climate change firsthand, including struggles with extreme heat exacerbated by poor air quality and ventilation. A newly coalescing coalition of school districts, teachers, and nonprofits see a solution.
Newsom energy plan sparks tug of war with lawmakers in final hours of legislative session
Stephanie Seidmon said the HVAC program is particularly important at a moment when COVID-19 is surging and California is dealing with worsening heat waves and wildfires, all of which underscore the need for proper air conditioning and ventilation in schools.
Inside California’s last-minute effort to cut electric bills and streamline clean energy
“It is a pound-foolish decision that doesn’t address the systemic (energy) affordability crisis we’re facing,” said Stephanie Seidmon, Program Director for UndauntedK12, a nonprofit that helps public schools transition to clean energy.
California electric bill relief plan would gut low-income energy programs
A California bill proposes cutting funding for CalSHAPE, a program that helps school upgrade their HVAC system for student health and learning. Advocates for the program argue the cuts will harm schools and vulnerable communities with little benefit to ratepayers.
Editorial: Too many kids are going back to school this month without functioning A/C
Some California students are returning to classrooms this month with inadequate cooling — or no air conditioning at all. In Long Beach Unified, the state’s fourth-largest school district, thousands of students will be returning this month to 556 classrooms at 13 schools that don’t have air conditioning.
Protecting Children From Extreme Heat Is Critical for Their Health, Learning, and Development
As climate change intensifies extreme heat around the globe, policymakers must take steps to develop heat standards for children and support infrastructure improvements to ensure schools, child care centers, and communities are safe and healthy places for children.
Education and the Environment: School buildings, playgrounds and carbon
Throughout California, students and teachers spend classroom time learning about the climate crisis while simultaneously experiencing its impacts. The Climate Ready Schools Coalition (CRSC) wants to address this.
Schools that never needed AC are now overheating. Fixes will cost billions.
As heat waves creep north, they are baking schools that previously did not need air conditioning. Fixing the problem will be neither cheap, nor easy.
Why Education Equity Should Include Climate Justice
Climate change is a top issue among teachers, students, and parents, which is why Education Equity must include Climate Justice.
It’s Not Just Snow Days: How Can Districts Work Extreme Weather Into Their Calendars?
“This is a threat multiplier for educational inequity,” Klein said. “It’s a serious issue that directly impacts kids’ learning opportunities.”
‘Next generation of climate leaders’: These Utah students are trying to get their school district to commit to clean energy
These Utah students are trying to get their school district to commit to clean energy. The initiatives have unfolded in a state where K-12 buildings rank as some of the highest producers of carbon emissions per million square feet nationally.
Two Massachusetts schools are ditching oil for geothermal heat pumps
The upfront costs for geothermal heat pumps in New Bedford would normally be nearly $14 million. But with federal and state rebates, installation costs will drop to about $6.1 million.
Sacramento City Unified commits to carbon neutrality by 2045
“There’s urgency behind the transition: State officials have noted the increasing climate impacts on California schools and the need to adapt buildings to weather these changes.”
Schools Can Use These Little-Known, Unlimited Funds to Make Their Buildings Greener
“Unlike a grant program with a fixed amount of money for districts to spend on particular expenses, schools and other tax-exempt entities like local and tribal governments can get reimbursed for work that’s already been completed simply by correctly filing tax return forms with the Internal Revenue Service.”
This Is Your Kid’s Brain on Extreme Heat
It’s too hot for school, as stifling classrooms cause some teachers to switch to remote learning—or cancel lessons altogether. And the heat will only get worse.
How California schools can finally quit burning fossil fuels
“Statewide planning is key to making safe, electrified schools a reality. With more than 11,000 buildings spanning 730 million square feet and more than 125,000 acres of land, California’s school system has a vast footprint. We need a plan now for all these buildings to stop creating pollution.”
School week ends with more heat in the classroom
Sara Ross speaks with NBC Boston about extreme heat in local schools as officials tried to assure the community that in the few schools that were not able to be outfitted with air conditioning, they provided fans and water.
As schools reopen in a heat wave, a warning of the climate future
Many schools in Massachusetts need HVAC upgrades to not only heat their buildings in winter, but keep things cool as temperatures increase.