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Ithaca students urge board to adopt climate action plan; trustees call for staff and facilities review
Summary
Student leaders urged the Ithaca City School District Board of Education to move from a climate resolution to an actionable climate action plan. Board members said they support the plan in principle but want staff and facilities feedback, and asked stakeholders to submit edits to the sustainability advocates for further review.
Student leaders from Ithaca High School asked the Ithaca City School District Board of Education to advance a district climate action plan, arguing it would protect neighborhoods at flood risk and embed climate education across grades.
"My name is Zoe Wang, and I am a ninth grader at IHS and a co president of the Climate Justice Alliance," Zoe Wang told the board during public comment. She said her neighborhood on Center Street had been designated an "annual flood risk hazard zone by FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency," and urged the board to pass the plan to address disproportionate impacts on Black and other communities of color.
"I move to enter into executive session for the purpose of discussing the following, employment history of particular individuals, ongoing negotiations, possible litigation, and superintendent evaluation," the meeting record shows. After returning to open session, the climate action plan (CAP) was discussed as an agenda item and not put to a vote.
"This climate action plan is the result of years of student and staff advocacy," Ace Dufresne, a junior at Ithaca High School, told trustees. "I urge you to put a vote for it on an upcoming agenda as soon as possible."
Board members praised the student advocates but said additional review is needed before any vote. "I've gone through this carefully, and I'm very much in support of it going further," said Dr. Tripp, a board member, but added that staff feedback — particularly from facilities and operations — is necessary before approving commitments that carry financial implications.
Trustees described a plan forward that emphasizes local review and edits. The board asked members of the public and staff to send questions and suggested edits to the districts sustainability advocates and indicated some CAP topics would be discussed at upcoming facilities and OACM meetings, allowing more technical dialogue outside a full board meeting. Board members said some CAP measures could be implemented without formal board approval while others would require budget clarity and possible future votes.
The discussion also included curricular questions. A trustee asked how climate education would be integrated across grade levels and what frameworks the district would use to develop classroom materials.
No formal motion or vote on adopting the climate action plan was taken at the meeting. The board indicated it will collect written suggestions from stakeholders, seek facilities and staff feedback, and may schedule a separate meeting or include the plan on a future agenda for further consideration.
