Green, Healthy Schools
The Problem: New York City public school infrastructure is in crisis.
There are over 1,200 public school buildings across New York City (NYC), many of which are on average 75 years old. Decades of disinvestment have left students and teachers in deteriorating environments marked by mold, poor ventilation, failing Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems, and structural vulnerabilities. Students and staff are exposed to these toxins every day, but so are the surrounding communities, due to the multipurpose uses of public school buildings—they serve as emergency shelters and cooling centers during extreme weather, polling sites for elections, and spaces for adult literacy programs and community building. Exposure to air pollution and toxins can also lead to cognitive impairment and increase absenteeism caused by COVID, flu, and other respiratory conditions. Students, teachers, and workers deserve healthier and safer learning and work environments. New Yorkers need Green Healthy Schools.
The Solution: Green Healthy Schools
Green, Healthy Schools, championed by the Climate Works for All coalition, is a win-win-win for environmental justice and sustainability; quality education; and good, green union jobs.
We’re calling for an annual capital investment of $2.2 billion over five years in Green, Healthy Schools to:
make schools fully electric and fossil fuel-free, install clean solar power, and upgrade heating, cooling, and ventilation systems
create 321,944 green jobs or 64,388 per year
cut Department of Education energy costs in half long-term
deliver clean air and improve learning environments for nearly one million public school students
make workplaces for more than 150,000 teachers and school workers sustainable
meet the mandates of Local Law 97 at scale
start to repair harm of decades of disinvestment by prioritizing schools in environmental justice communities
