The Climate Ready Schools Coalition’s Response to Governor Newsom’s May Budget Revise

We recognize that Gov. Gavin Newson and the legislature have difficult decisions to make this year in the face of decreased state revenue. At the same time, the governor’s budget proposal leaves billions of federal dollars on the table. The Inflation Reduction Act now gives California a once-in-a-generation opportunity to bring billions of federal dollars into the state to decarbonize schools, build climate-resilient campus infrastructure, and protect the health of our most vulnerable children - if only we will make a small investment of our own State funds.

We applaud Senator Lena Gonzalez for introducing SB 394, which calls for a Master Plan for Climate-Resilient Schools. Extreme weather in California, including extreme heat, wildfire smoke, and flooding, continues to threaten the health, safety, and learning of California children. This is especially true for our most vulnerable students. By creating decarbonized and climate-resilient school buildings and grounds, we can create healthy and safe learning environments for our children, helping the state meet our education and climate goals.

We urge lawmakers to pass SB 394 and allocate funding for the plan so that California makes the most of the federal Inflation Reduction Act’s new incentives to ensure California schools are healthy and climate-resilient.