A new policy brief published by the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation proposes five actions for California policymakers to prepare the state’s K-12 public school system for rising temperatures under climate change.
The five areas of action outlined are: assessing the status of cooling interventions in schools, establishing a statewide indoor temperature limit for schools, mitigating heat exposure in schoolyards, managing heat exposure in school, and identifying related funding gaps.
“We have recorded surface temperatures of 140 degrees Fahrenheit and above on school play equipment, but the full extent of the problem has yet to be documented,” said Kelly Turner, associate director of the center.
The agenda proposed by UCLA researchers seeks to achieve goals outlined in California’s 2022 Extreme Heat Action Plan. This is the latest in a series of policy briefs to help guide state policymakers in advancing equitable and effective strategies to protect Californians from extreme heat.
Read more at UCLA Luskin Center of Innovation.
Image Source: V. Kelly Turner
