Our Statement: California must do more for climate-ready schools

September 13, 2022

OAKLAND, CA — UndauntedK12, a national nonprofit supporting climate action for America's K-12 public schools, reacted today to the 2022-23 California Budget: 

“For now, we’ve escaped the heat dome and dodged the threat of hurricanes, but with more extreme weather to come and mega-fires looming, there’s a reality we must face: students, and their ability to learn, are suffering in outdated school buildings and classrooms without air conditioning. It’s a reminder that even as we celebrate the passage of an ambitious climate package, California must do more to keep students healthy and learning in school,” said Jonathan Klein, co-founder.

“California is a national leader on climate action. With $54 billion for programs aimed at cutting the state’s carbon emissions 85 percent by 2045, California’s new climate bill is a blueprint for the kind of big commitments we’ll need to make in the next several decades in order to ensure our kids inherit a livable Earth. But California’s children and families need the state to lead on making schools healthy, resilient, and part of the solution to the climate crisis. 

“We recognize progress in the $20 million allocated for the California Schools Healthy Air, Plumbing, and Efficiency Program (CalSHAPE) to upgrade and electrify school HVAC systems, $150 million for school greening at CalFIRE, $1.5 billion over 5 years in grants for electric school buses, and $270 million allocated for Community Resilience Centers which include schools.

“Still, about 9,000 of California’s public school buildings are more than 70 years old and disrepair from both age and extreme weather places a disproportionate burden on low-income families and disadvantaged communities across the state. There is more we must do to align state and local investments in school infrastructure with goals for decarbonization, climate resilience, environmental justice, and educational equity. 

“We call on the Governor and legislature to prioritize the development of a Master Plan for Climate-Resilient Schools that will provide a roadmap to ensure every child has equitable access to healthy, climate-resilient, and decarbonized school buildings and grounds. We also call on the Governor and legislature to increase state investment in school infrastructure dollars in the FY24 budget and ensure that future state dollars, whether allocated in the legislative budget process or through a future school bond, are invested in alignment with the state’s goal of achieving carbon neutrality no later than 2045, the Climate Adaptation Strategy, and the Extreme Heat Action Plan.

“We applaud the work that went into the adoption of this year’s budget, but we must move quickly to ensure we are preparing our school buildings, grounds, and students to be climate-ready.”

UndauntedK12 is a national nonprofit working to support all K-12 schools in making an equitable transition to zero carbon emissions while preparing youth to build a sustainable future in a rapidly changing climate. 

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