California’s students deserve climate-safe schools

OPINION – We were in elementary school when the 2017 Tubbs Fire, the most destructive in state history at the time, forced schools to close down or continue lessons in smoke-filled classrooms. A year later, history repeated itself when the Camp Fire fouled the air in Northern California for weeks. In 2020, as COVID-19 upended our education, California’s wildfires scorched more than 4% of the state. Ash rained down while we sheltered in place, learning over Zoom.

Our childhoods have unfolded in a California that is on fire.

We’ve lost school days. Our friends have lost homes. Our communities live in constant fear of destruction. As we navigate adolescence in a California fundamentally altered by climate change, our schools should be sanctuaries. But due to outdated infrastructure built for an era before climate change, they cannot keep us healthy when extreme weather strikes.

It’s not just wildfire smoke that disrupts our learning – extreme heat forces school closures across California annually. Many schools lack even basic air conditioning, with classroom temperatures routinely exceeding 90 degrees. Schools without adequate infrastructure often stay open through heat waves and wildfires alike, exposing students to unhealthy learning environments in classrooms.

Upgrading California’s schools to be climate-safe will be a monumental task, but it begins with a plan. California and its school districts allocate billions towards school infrastructure yearly, but this funding is not coordinated with our extreme weather and climate plans. That’s why we support SB 1182, recently passed by the California legislature, which would require the state to create a master plan to enhance the health, safety, and resilience of our schools. We urge Governor Newsom, who has been a champion for both education and climate, to support this bill and make it the law in California.

Charting a path to a healthier future for schools starts with understanding the gaps in existing infrastructure. Right now, we lack basic data about our schools: We don’t know how many have functioning air conditioning, how hot classrooms get, or how indoor air quality conditions fluctuate in classrooms during wildfire season. SB 1182 will align state agencies and provide guidance and support to local leaders so we can make smart investments with the limited funding we have.

This initiative is particularly timely given two major funding opportunities for schools. First, California will see a school infrastructure bond on the ballot this fall. It would be a missed opportunity if these billions weren’t spent in line with a plan to upgrade our schools with climate-resilient buildings and grounds.

Second, the Inflation Reduction Act now offers California schools tax credits for clean energy infrastructure, including new HVAC systems, that can halve the cost of state-of-the-art systems. The problem is many schools are unaware these resources are available. A master plan would facilitate outreach to schools like ours and help align policy and investments to maximize this opportunity.

Modernizing California’s school infrastructure will not only improve student health and safety, but also address a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions. Our school buildings span 730 million square feet of buildings and contribute substantially to climate change. The clean energy technologies needed to improve classroom comfort will also reduce pollution from school buildings, advancing California’s climate goals.

Every day we delay action, more students suffer in unsafe learning environments, jeopardizing both their education and their health. We cannot afford to kick the can down the road on these investments while our schools heat up and fill with smoke. Now that SB 1182 has passed the legislature, we call on Governor Newsom to sign this bill into law.

As rising seniors, we’ve spent our entire school careers facing a changing climate. It’s time for our schools to change, too. Our education, health, and future depend on it.

Liliana Karesh is a senior at Napa High School in Napa. Kasch Marquardt is a senior at West Campus High School in Sacramento.