[…]As I’ve written before, it’s becoming more and more clear that schools must become beacons of resiliency in every community in the midst of a climate disaster. And that includes everyday climate disasters, too. It’s why our schoolyards need cisterns for capturing stormwater and bioswales to remediate urban runoff and microforests to protect neighborhoods from extreme heat.

Although public schools are chronically underfunded, we do actually have money to make these changes now. The two school bond measures that voters approved in November — one for the state, one for LAUSD — will funnel billions into facility upgrades. This week, LAUSD announced funding for new climate adaptation projects, including updates to emergency procedures. Hopefully that means throwing away the outdated manual and writing a new one. Parents near burn areas aren’t getting good answers about how schools are being cleaned and tested for reopening. I spoke with one parent at Paul Revere Middle School, which is about a half-mile from the Palisades Fire perimeter. Upon returning to a school they were assured was safe, students found ash in their lockers. I’m also getting questions about how soils, sand, and garden beds should be cleaned and tested in schoolyards and playgrounds. Providing this guidance immediately should have been a priority for school board members.