Modesto City Schools presents Year 1 sustainability plan progress, student-led pilots expand district efforts

Dr. Sarah Olson, Senior Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Professional Development, and Gilbert Rosas, Director of Sustainability and Adaptation, told the Modesto City Schools Board of Education that Year 1 implementation of the district sustainability plan has produced classroom pilots, student engagement projects and infrastructure pilots district-wide.

The presentation outlined three pillars — educational sustainability; community and culture; and the physical environment — and highlighted several concrete outcomes. ‘‘Approximately 75% of our prep providers are now delivering sustainability-focused lessons on a monthly basis,’’ Dr. Olson said, noting a voluntary pilot for TK–6 science prep providers. The board heard that a new elective, “Sustainability, A Planet in Balance,” has been approved as an option for a third year of high school science.

Why it matters: district leaders said the plan is designed to integrate sustainability into instruction and operations, build student civic engagement and reduce environmental impact across campuses. Presenters tied the work to district strategic goals on enrichment, student voice and facility investments.

Board members and student representatives pressed for measurement and classroom reach. Student representative Juliana Garcia asked whether junior high students were included; presenters said sustainability activities and green teams are in place across grade levels and that CAPS interns are compiling data for a June board update. ‘‘Our students from group 3 are working on creating a final presentation for the board in June,’’ one CAPS intern said.

The report named specific site efforts — expanded outdoor learning, water-bottle-filling stations, composting and recycling pilots, and solar carports with added EV chargers funded by a grant. Gilbert Rosas emphasized that while ‘‘net-zero energy’’ is a long-term goal, the district is starting with lower-cost, scalable practices and student-led programming.

Trustees asked about measurable savings from solar and other investments; presenters said solar production and offsets are available on the district web pages and that bill impacts and credits are being tracked, but year-over-year aggregation will take additional time to compile. The board was told Earth Day partnership events and student-created materials (cafeteria signage and door-hangers trialed at Sonoma Elementary) are part of the outreach strategy.

The presentation closed with a plan to scale successful pilots, continue committee work and return to the board with a formal Year 2 update in June. ‘‘We will report back in June,’’ Gilbert Rosas said. The board expressed support for continued student engagement and asked staff to provide the compiled data and outreach materials as they become available.

The board did not take a formal action on the sustainability report; staff will provide follow-up metrics and a final report at a later meeting.