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An EdSource analysis found that about 45% of California K-12 students attend schools where 5% or less of the areas they use are covered by tree canopy. Heat-risk exposure can rise sharply during fall heat waves: nearly 4,900 public schools were in high- or severe-risk areas on Oct. 5, compared with about 2,600 on Aug. 10. Some districts and state programs are adding shade and greenery, but funding and the scale of need remain challenges.
Nearly 4,900 California public schools were in areas rated at high or severe heat risk on Oct. 5, almost twice the roughly 2,600 schools in high-risk areas on Aug. 10, according to an EdSource analysis. The report also found that about 45% of K-12 students attend schools where 5% or less of the areas students use are covered by tree canopy, leaving many campuses with limited natural shade as heat reaches into the school year.
The analysis found that more than 2.6 million students attend schools with tree canopy over 5% or less of student-use zones. A Green Schoolyards America report put the median canopy coverage in those zones at 6.4%. Across public schools, EdSource found 44% had 5% or less canopy in student areas, 45% had 6% to 15%, and about 11% had more than 15%.
The location of trees also affects whether students benefit from them. Less than half of school tree canopy is accessible to students, while about 55% of trees and greenery are around campus perimeters, entrances or parking lots, according to the report. On Aug. 10, more than a quarter of California campuses—about 2,600 public schools, including charter schools—were in areas rated at high heat risk. Nearly 60% of those schools were elementary schools; Los Angeles, Fresno and San Bernardino counties had the largest percentages of schools in such areas.
Some campuses are making changes. At Parkway Elementary in Sacramento, a 2024 collaboration with Green Schoolyards America transformed a 15,000-square-foot area that had largely been blacktop, adding 58 trees and 44 shrubs, along with arborist care and resources for teachers. Gov. Gavin Newsom announced projects at 215 schools through CalFire’s Green Schoolyards Grant Program, according to the report.
Heat Reaches Into the School Year
The comparison between Aug. 10 and Oct. 5 shows that school heat exposure can change substantially within the calendar period when students are attending classes. On Oct. 5, nearly half of California public schools—about 4,900 campuses—were in places rated high or severe for heat risk, according to EdSource. That makes heat management a concern beyond summer sessions, when districts have already responded by reducing outdoor time and adjusting physical activity.
Heat can affect students’ time outdoors and the activities schools can offer. UCLA urban planning and geography professor Kelly Turner said responses can include shade, air conditioning, water breaks and shifted recess times. Longer-term campus changes, such as planting trees, may take time and money. The report says advocates see green spaces as serving other purposes too, including play, learning and socializing; claims about effects on behavior and mental health are benefits cited by advocates, not outcomes established for every school.
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Uneven Shade Across Campuses
California has experienced rising temperatures over the long term. The Scripps Institution of Oceanography says summer temperatures increased by roughly 3% since 1896, with more than half of that increase occurring since the 1970s, according to the source report. The report does not provide the temperature measure or a more detailed definition of that percentage.
Green Schoolyards America founder and CEO Sharon Gamson Danks said the trees that do exist are often placed where adults use the campus, rather than where children spend their day. The report describes a median of 6.4% tree canopy in student-use zones and notes that some schools aim for 30% shade or green space. Parkway Elementary’s project is one example of a local effort; it does not establish how quickly similar changes can be made statewide.
““We specifically need more trees where the need is the greatest, where the places the schools are in are the hottest environments and have the least capacity to change that themselves financially.””
— Sharon Gamson Danks, CEO and founder of Green Schoolyards America
Funding and Heat Risks Ahead
The source report does not specify the year for the Aug. 10 and Oct. 5 heat-risk comparisons, nor does it give a forecast for how many campuses will face similar conditions in future school years. The figures describe schools located in areas assigned state heat-risk ratings; they do not mean every school recorded the same temperatures or indoor conditions.
It is also unclear how many schools will receive funding for shade projects, how long statewide improvements will take, or whether the announced projects have been completed. The report describes potential benefits of greener schoolyards but does not quantify their effects on student health, behavior or learning. It also does not provide a statewide estimate of the cost of bringing campuses to the 30% shade or green-space target mentioned by some schools.
Short-Term Steps, Longer Projects
Districts can use short-term measures described by Turner—including moving recess, providing water breaks and using available shade or air conditioning—while longer-term campus projects are planned. Tree planting and other physical changes require funding, maintenance and time; Parkway Elementary’s project included an arborist to care for its new trees.
The state grant program and local schoolyard projects provide examples of work underway, but the report does not set out a statewide schedule for further funding or construction. The next indicators will be whether more schools receive support, where new shade is placed, and how districts respond when heat-risk conditions arise during the school year.
Key Questions
How many California students attend schools with very little tree cover?
EdSource found that about 45% of K-12 students, or more than 2.6 million, attend schools where 5% or less of student-use areas are covered by tree canopy.
How did school heat-risk exposure change between the two dates?
About 2,600 public schools were in high heat-risk areas on Aug. 10. On Oct. 5, nearly 4,900 schools were in areas rated high or severe. The source does not specify the year for these dates.
Are most school trees located where students can use them?
No. The report says less than half of school tree canopy is accessible to students, while roughly 55% of trees and greenery are around perimeters, entrances or parking lots.
What can schools do about heat before major construction?
UCLA professor Kelly Turner cited options including shifting recess times, adding water breaks, using shade and air conditioning. The report does not prescribe a single approach for every school.
Source: rss
