We joined numerous groups, including Progressive Maryland and PG Change Makers, at the August 29, 2024, Prince George’s County Board of Education in the call to install solar on existing school buildings, in particular in overburdened and underserved communities such as Fort Washington and Oxon Hill.  We also called for strong leadership on climate-friendly, healthy school foods and thanked the Board for all of the progress that has been made on the Climate Change Action Plan Implementation.

On May 9, we testified at the Interagency Commission on School Construction (IAC), calling on the IAC to fully implement the requirement found in HB 458 to develop standards for LEAs to use when conducting life-cycle cost analysis for new school construction.  In particular, we called on the new guidelines to include consideration of Maryland’s 2045 net zero climate goal, the cost to retrofit schools for EVs and fossil fuel-free heating, and the need to consider IRA tax credits.

You can watch the testimony here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEMaSfDNtDk

And you can read our written testimony here.

We submitted testimony to the Prince George’s County Council in support of CR-009-2024, a “Resolution Concerning School Pedestrian Safety Workgroup.”  Our children are counting on the County Council to address safe access to schools, and we do believe that this workgroup will lead the Prince George’s County government to prioritize safer access to schools in
its road design and other transportation concerns.

You can read the testimony here.

On January 25 testimony was given on the FY25 Budget Hearing by two Climate Parents volunteers.  Nate from Eleanor Roosevelt High School spoke on the importance of PGCPS providing funding for solar installations on his school and others throughout the county and Joseph spoke on the need for funding for solar, crossing guards, and composting programs, as well as the need to take advantage of all of the federal and state grant programs that are available to schools.  You can check out the video to hear the testimony from us and other concerned residents.

There is also one more PGCPS FY25 Budget Hearing on February 15.  You should register to speak up for funding of school climate action.

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• February 15, 2024 - Budget Hearing

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We testified in favor of two bills at the the December 4 Prince George’s House Delegation Meeting

The first bill was PG 301-24, which would authorize stop sign cameras, which is important for the safety of young students that walk or bike to school.  Read the testimony.

We also spoke in favor 501-24 that would study the feasibility of relocating the Board of Education headquarters.  This would align with one of the commendaitons found in the Climate Change Action Plan. Read the testimony testimony.

On October 25, we testified to the Prince George’s County Board of Education Operations, Budget, and Fiscal Affairs
(OBFA) Committee on the need to include important climate action items in the PGCPS FY25 operating budget. Those include:

• Continue to fund the new sustainability/resiliency officer position.
• Continue to fund the Student Environmental Alliance Summit.
• Perform a comprehensive energy audit of all existing buildings.
• Purchase solar energy through Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs).
• Begin purchasing Electric Vehicles (EVs) and electric grounds maintenance equipment.
• Fund a baseline assessment for food waste.
• Provide staff funding for expansion of composting pilot programs to more schools.
• Provide funding for maintaining natural turf fields.
• Ensure that purchases related to school food packaging lead to less packaging that is destined to
  the landfill by switching to packaging that is compostable, recyclable, or just reduced in amount.
• Invest in planting more native trees across the school system.

You can read the full comment letter here.

The USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service issued a major proposal updating school nutrition standards to be based on the latest science.  Our students need access to health meal to learn and climate-friendly foods to reduce our impact on the planet and get PGCPS to net-zero.  We reviewed the proposal and provided the following comments to the USDA to call for healthy, sustainable nutrition standards.

Read the comments.