California needs a plan for climate-resilient schools
July 25, 2022
Dear Governor Newsom, Speaker Rendon, and President pro Tem Atkins,
On behalf of our 22 organizations and allied Californians, we applaud your commitment to invest $5.1 billion of one-time funding in the 2022-23 budget for K-12 school construction and modernization. We especially commend the provisions of AB 181 — the education omnibus budget trailer bill — that such as those on school kitchens that begin to align these school infrastructure investments with our State’s critical climate and health goals.
If spent wisely, these dollars can have a transformative impact on the health of our students and in the fight against climate change. As such, we recommend the following:
Ensure that one-time General Fund dollars for school modernization and new construction in the 2022-23 budget are spent in alignment with California’s climate and health goals, via small modifications in trailer bill language to AB 181.
Include an additional $475 million in the 2022-23 budget for the California Schools Healthy Air, Plumbing, and Efficiency Program (CalSHAPE) to fund electric HVAC systems, via budget bill language, drawing from the $3 billion of set-aside climate dollars.
Include $25 million in the 2022-23 budget for the development of a statewide Master Plan for Climate Resilient Schools, and for technical assistance to districts and schools, via budget bill language, drawing from the $3 billion of set-aside climate dollars.
California stands no chance of meeting its nation-leading statutory goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2045 unless our public school buildings and grounds are at the forefront of that effort. Our 10,000 K-12 schools — more than 730 million square feet of buildings on nearly 125,000 acres of land — comprise one of California’s largest sectors of public infrastructure, representing billions of dollars of state and local investment. Given that some facilities investments have lifespans of more than 30 years, we must ensure that our current actions accelerate progress toward our long-term goals.
The good news is that we have the technology we need to vault California’s schools to the forefront of efficiency and climate resilience. By upgrading school HVAC systems with electrification and advanced filtration technologies, we can reduce indoor air pollution, keep California’s schools open, and ensure healthy learning environments for students — all while cutting operating costs. And as California warms, electrified HVAC systems can provide vital cooling services to reduce the inequitable effects of extreme heat, and act as resiliency and cooling centers for entire communities. Our proposed AB 181 trailer bill markup encourages electric school energy systems wherever possible.
Increased funding for CalSHAPE will enable school electrification by reducing the up-front costs of electric appliances. By leveling the playing field, CalSHAPE will ensure that electrification — and the subsequent increase in air quality and decrease in operating costs — will be accessible to the students and school districts that need it most.
Extraordinary times also call for extraordinary vision. The development of a statewide Master Plan for Climate Resilient Schools — supported by technical assistance to districts and schools — will ensure that future school infrastructure investment is cost-effective and aligned with California’s climate commitments, Climate Adaptation Strategy, and Extreme Heat Action Plan. A master plan will also coordinate state, county, and district action to safeguard children’s health, inspire growth and learning, and secure a climate-resilient future for all Californians.
With appreciation and determination,
The California Climate-Resilient Schools Coalition
and numerous other leaders from across the state signing as individuals
