Climate Change is an Education Equity Issue — And Efforts to Mitigate it Are at Risk (EdTrust and UndauntedK12)
This post was coauthored in partnership with EdTrust. The original post was published by EdTrust on June 2, 2025.
The evidence is clear: climate change is keeping students out of class.
From headline-making disasters like May flooding that forced the evacuation of two Maryland elementary schools and January wildfires in California that kept schools closed for days, to more commonplace closures for extreme heat, students are missing thousands of days of school each year.
Despite the increasing pace of these disasters, efforts to mitigate the impacts of climate change on schools are at risk from budget legislation that would end tax credits for school districts to make climate-friendly upgrades. School districts have used these credits to lower costly energy bills via geothermal energy, install air conditioning to keep students in classrooms despite rising temperatures, and replace diesel school buses with electric ones that offer a quieter, cleaner ride to school.
Ending these tax credits — at the same time that school districts are dealing with other funding constraints — will force tough decisions about where to prioritize scarce resources.
We also must acknowledge that disruptions from school closures don’t fall evenly across student groups. Just look at Los Angeles. Research from our organizations found that of the 725,000 students who faced school closures this winter, three-quarters of the students are socioeconomically disadvantaged, two-fifths speak a language other than English at home, and 1 in 10 has a disability.
School closures, whatever their cause, have real consequences for students. With research showing that students lose between two and four weeks’ worth of learning for every week they’re out of class during extreme weather, it is imperative that schools be resilient in the face of changing climate. When coupled with the statistics about which populations are most affected by these events, it leaves the same students who are too often already not served well by their schools facing additional barriers to learning.
Though preserving the energy tax credits — and larger discussions of constructing climate-resilient school buildings — is vital, it’s just one part of the equation for addressing climate change in education.
A recent publication from EdTrust lays out six ways states and districts can promote education equity as they respond to climate change:
Student Agency: Schools should ensure students have access to information and support that increases climate literacy and opportunities to make their voices heard.
Resource Equity: Schools should consider energy-efficient upgrades and ensure access to safe outdoor spaces, with priority for schools in low-income neighborhoods.
Social, Emotional, and Academic Development: Schools should integrate social-emotional development with academic learning, particularly as it intersects with racial injustice and concerns about climate.
High-Quality Curricula and Instruction: States and advocates should push for the adoption of climate change standards in schools and ensure teachers have adequate professional development.
STEM Identity: Schools should foster interest in STEM by emphasizing climate content relevant to students’ local contexts and offering students a sense of agency and hope.
College and Career Readiness: States and districts should support career and technical education that prepares students for jobs in a clean economy.
The climate crisis and America’s educational future are intertwined. Educators and lawmakers want to do what’s right for students – and it’s time for policymakers at all levels of government to create an educational future that protects students and launches them with the mindsets and skills to shape resilient, sustainable communities.
