By the California State PTA Education Commission and Legislative Advocacy Team
Explore climate solutions for schools at LegCon26, February 2-3
About 20 percent of California schools lack air conditioning, and in many others, the AC is ineffective. In Sacramento in 2022, children suffered from heat exposure when the air conditioning in the cafeteria broke down, and they spent their lunch hour outside during a 116-degree heatwave. On a day with 90-degree temperatures, children at an elementary school in Watts could not use the playground because the unshaded equipment and play surfaces were so hot they could cause third-degree burns. Extreme heat is already disrupting learning in California—and PTAs can help lead solutions.
These school experiences are a good reminder that our weather is becoming more extreme, and it’s happening because the surface atmosphere of the planet is getting warmer. Those temperature increases threaten children, their health and their learning, in ways that are getting more attention. Those impacts have prompted stronger climate advocacy on the part of the California State PTA, including joining the Climate Ready Schools Coalition and assigning a dedicated climate advocate to consider state legislation and coordinate our advocacy.
It’s about kids’ health and learning
“Children are more vulnerable to the effects of heat than adults,” the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation concluded in a 2023 policy brief entitled Protecting Californians with Heat-Resilient Schools. “…they can get dehydrated more quickly in extreme temperatures. Children also face a heightened risk of some health conditions, including asthma, when they experience extremely high temperatures.”
These issues often arise at school, where the risks of heat exposure are heightened in outdoor play areas without shade. In school buildings without working air conditioning, indoor temperatures can soar well above recommended maximums of about 82 degrees Fahrenheit. Research shows that students’ ability to learn, measured in part by performance on assessments, suffers when schools cannot maintain comfortable indoor temperatures.
PTAs can take action
At our Legislation Conference on February 2 and 3 in Sacramento, attendees will learn more about California State PTA’s expanded climate advocacy efforts from an expert panel who will address Environmental Impacts on Student Success. The panel will feature Stanford pediatrician Lisa Patel, who will discuss the health and learning impacts of extreme heat on children. To explore school-specific concerns and actions PTA members can take in response, the other speakers will include Mitch Steiger, Legislative Representative for the California Federation of Teachers, plus a representative from Green Schoolyards.
Join us at LegCon26 (Feb 2–3, Sacramento) to learn practical steps your PTA can take—then advocate together at the Capitol. Visit our website to register now and learn more about LegCon26.