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Students and advocates urge board to adopt climate action plan; district outlines advisory-council work
Summary
Students urged the Ithaca board to place a revised climate action plan on the June 9 agenda. Sustainability advocates reviewed four CAP components (operations, healthy schools, education, structure), said an advisory council met monthly, and described pilot projects including geothermal and electric buses.
Students and sustainability advocates presented a revised climate action plan to the Ithaca City School District Board of Education on May 26 and urged the board to include the plan on its June 9 meeting agenda for a vote.
Student speakers and advocates described the CAP as built around four components: operations (facility and transportation decarbonization), healthy schools (gardens, waste reduction, food and nutrition), education (integrating climate into curriculum and professional development) and structure (an advisory council, annual reporting and a sustainability lens in decision-making). Student Goldber told the board the group had ‘‘dedicated many hours’’ to drafting the plan and urged the board to act.
Armen, a librarian and sustainability advocate, summarized the advisory council process, noting the group met at least seven times with broad participation from students, staff, administrators and board members to revise language and align goals with district operations. Advocates highlighted existing and planned projects — geothermal heating and cooling included in a capital project, acquisition of electric buses, and LED lighting upgrades — and said the revised plan is a framework rather than a prescriptive, binding commitment.
Board members asked whether adoption would create binding financial obligations. Presenters said the plan’s revised language is directional and intended to require ongoing consideration in budgeting and facilities decisions rather than lock the district into specific expenditures. The structure component specifies an annual report and a continuing advisory council to guide implementation and track progress.
Advocates asked board members to send any questions before June 9. The board agreed to put the CAP on the June 9 meeting agenda for consideration and to receive additional information from administration and the advisory council ahead of the vote.
