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Parents, students press LAUSD to speed up promised school greening and shade projects
Summary
Students and parents at the Greening Schools committee urged LAUSD to accelerate tree planting and complete long-delayed greening grants after students reported playground surface temperatures exceeding 130°F; facilities said designs and soils testing are underway for several projects.
Dozens of students, parents and community volunteers pressed the Los Angeles Unified School District’s Greening Schools and Climate Resilience Committee to finish long-delayed greening projects and install shade on hot blacktop playgrounds.
At public comment, Eric White of Reclaim Our Schools LA described repeatedly stalled projects at 93rd Street Elementary and said children there deserve “to be in a thriving public school,” not “bare minimum” campuses. Multiple students from Latona and Lorettto Elementary Schools told the committee they had measured surface temperatures above 130°F and described symptoms including dizziness and nausea. "We are simply asking that this move forward with urgency," one parent said.
Why it matters: Students and parents linked heat exposure and lack of shade to immediate health and learning impacts. Several speakers said their schools had been awarded grants—CalFire and SEEDS among them—but construction has been postponed for years and community members do not know whom to contact for updates.
Facilities response: Christina Tes, LAUSD’s director of facilities, said LUSD presented a SEEDS funding package to the board in December (about $300,000 for SEEDS projects) and that design work for Lona was being finalized with soils testing in progress. Tes offered a contact line for follow-up and invited parents to meet after the hearing: “If you have any questions about the project, please feel free to call my office,” she said.
What was asked of the board: Speakers asked the committee to remove administrative obstacles, provide clearer points of contact and timelines for awarded grants, and prioritize shade and soft-surface play areas to prevent heat-related illness and reduce playground injuries.
What happens next: Facilities said it expects construction to start in fall for some projects and offered on-site follow-up. The committee did not take a vote at the meeting; parents were urged to continue direct contact with facilities and the Eco Sustainability Office for project status updates.
Speakers quoted in this article include Eric White (Reclaim Our Schools LA), Christina Tes (Director of Facilities), students and parent volunteers who identified themselves during public comment.
