Tahoe‑Truckee students press board to adopt climate/sustainability resolution

Grayson Martin, a rising senior and secretary of the Tahoe Youth Action Team, and several other students urged the Tahoe Truckee Unified School District board on Aug. 13 to adopt a resolution that would set clear, districtwide climate and sustainability goals.

Martin told trustees the district’s Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas inventory work and the new sustainability manager have provided momentum, and that the student group intends to work with the district throughout the year to advance those efforts. “We appreciate the momentum that the sustainability manager has brought,” Martin said.

Charlie Derrick, an incoming senior and vice president of the Tahoe Youth Action Team, said national setbacks to renewable-energy projects make local action more important. Derrick described work in the region — including a Nevada County resiliency roadmap, Truckee Donner Public Utility District energy and water conservation programs, and recent greenhouse gas inventories by local institutions — and urged the board to “join us and the community” by adopting what he called the students’ sustainability resolution.

Kira Scott, a Truckee High alumna and former TYT leader now attending Bowdoin College, told the board the district has made “positive climate work” but needs a clearer, actionable plan so people who do not follow every development will still see the district’s commitment. “Adopting the resolution or another actionable climate plan will be a clear iteration of those goals to people who don't follow every achievement,” Scott said.

Community member Deirdre Henderson told the board the student-drafted resolution has been before trustees since April 2023 and that students have repeatedly revised the proposal to address perceived board concerns. Henderson asked the board, as taxpayers and community members, to treat the request with urgency even though the board could not respond directly during public comment. “It’s been two years since April 2023 that the student proposed resolution…has been before you,” Henderson said.

Board president acknowledged the public comments and thanked the students; Superintendent Kramer noted that the superintendent’s office had “got this under note,” but no board motion or vote on a sustainability resolution occurred at the Aug. 13 meeting.

The public comment segment closed after those speakers. The district’s public statements at the meeting were limited to acknowledgment; no board action to place the students’ resolution on a future agenda was recorded in the meeting transcript.

Looking ahead, students and supporters said they will continue engagement this school year and requested the board consider a formal adoption or other actionable climate planning steps.

Provenance: first related remarks appear in the public comment segment beginning with Grayson Martin’s remarks at 9599.045–9601.86; the final related remarks are Deirdre Henderson’s comments at 9890.75–9923.431.