We provided written testimony at the September 22, 2022 Board of Education Meeting on the second batch of Alternative Construction Financing (ACF) Blueprint Schools and on the final FY24-28 Capital Improvement Plan.
Category: Testimony/Comment Letters
On August 18, 2022, the Prince George’s Board of Education introduced a Sustainability (Energy Use) Policy for first reader. The Sustainability Policy is intended to fulfill the requirement to develop an energy use policy under HB 630 (2021 Maryland Legislative Session). It also goes beyond the bare bones requirements of HB 630 and institutes into policy many of the recommendations from the PGCPS Climate Change Action Plan.
At the meeting we testified in favor of adoption of the Sustainability Policy, though did have several suggestions for improvements to more completely align the Sustainability Policy with the Climate Change Action Plan. You can read the written testimony here. You can also watch the oral testimony we gave.
On July 14, 2022 we testified to the Interagency Commission on School Construction (IAC) on the need for the IAC to update their rules and guidance to require school construction decisions to be made in light of full Life Cycle Cost Analyses (LCCAs) and the need to include Maryland’s statutory climate goal of net zero emissions by 2045 in its (LCCAs).
Watch the Testimony:
Read the Written Testimony Here.
CR-032-2022 – 2022-07-12 – Testimony – Climate Parents of Prince George’s
We submitted two sets of comments to the full Prince George’s County Council urging them to adopt the County Climate Action Plan. This plan is important for our work since the PGCPS Climate Change Action Plan was developed with this plan as a complement to the one developed by the County Council. You can read our comments here.
And the good news is that on July 12th the County Council passed the resolution adopting the Climate Action Plan in response to all of the positive comments submitted by the public.
We submitted two sets of comments to the Transportation, Infrastructure, Energy and Environment Committee urging them to adopt the County Climate Action Plan. This plan is important for our work since the PGCPS Climate Change Action Plan was developed with this plan as a complement to the one developed by the County Council. You can read our comments here and here.
Its not too late for you to take action too. Voice your support for the County Council to Adopt the Climate Action Plan.
On June 21 we submitted comments on the PGCPS FY 2023 Educational Facilities Master Plan (EFMP). Additionally, several parents testified at a hearing on the EFMP that evening held by PGCPS. We voiced the need for the EFMP to include the Climate Change Action Plan recommendations as part of facilities planning.
You can read our written comments here.
The Maryland General Assembly is underway and we have been continuing our work providing support for laws that will lead to greenhouse gas free schools. Of course we do this as part of the Maryland Climate Justice Wing. Here is the second set of the testimony that we have submitted in the 2022 legislative session (the first can be found here and the second can be found here).
- SB0948 – Electric School Bus Pilot Program
- SB0528 – Climate Solutions Now Act (submitted to the House)
- HB1290 – Public School Construction – Funding and Administration (Submitted to the Senate)
- HB0019 – Safe Walk to School Act (Submitted to the Senate)
If you would like to help us review more bills let please consider volunteering.
The Maryland General Assembly is underway and we have been continuing our work providing support for laws that will lead to greenhouse gas free schools. Of course we do this as part of the Maryland Climate Justice Wing. Here is the second set of the testimony that we have submitted in the 2022 legislative session (the first can be found here).
- SB0528 – Climate Solutions Now Act
- Environmental Human Rights Amendment SB0783 | HB0596
- HB0566 – School Construction-Design Documents-Waste
- HB1290 – Public School Construction – Funding and Administration
- HB0806 – High Performance, State, and Local Government Buildings, State Operations, and Eligible Projects
- HB0831 – Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions – Commercial and Residential Buildings
- SB0588 – High Performance and Green Buildings
If you would like to help us review more bills let please consider volunteering.
The Maryland General Assembly is underway and we have been continuing our work providing support for laws that will lead to greenhouse gas free schools. Of course we do this as part of the Maryland Climate Justice Wing. Here is the first set of the testimony that we have submitted in the 2022 legislative session.
- HB 19 – Safe Walk to School Act
- SB 124 – Grant Program to Reduce and Compost School Waste
- SB 228 – Maryland Corps Revisions
- HB 365 – Green School Construction Act of 2022
- HB 696 – Electric School Bus Pilot Program
If you would like to help us review more bills let please consider volunteering.
We are thankful that we were invited on February 10, 2022 to testify in favor of the Electric School Bus Pilot Program (HB696) sponsored by Delegate David Fraser-Hidalgo (HD-15). If enacted, this legislation would create a program to create a partnership with utilities and schools to offset the higher costs of electric school buses and allow the batteries in the buses to be used on the grid when not needed for getting kids to of from school. Our lead volunteer spoke of the efforts of Prince George’s County Public Schools to plan for electric buses and on the negative health consequences of diesel pollution on children.