STOCKTON UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT Resolution No 20-21 California Clean Air Day: Protecting the Planet and the Health and Safety of Stockton Unified School District Students WHEREAS, The Stockton Unified School District is committed to the health and welfare of students, staff, and communities and is committed to improving the environment; and WHEREAS, According to the Central California Asthma Collaborative, one in six children in the San Joaquin Valley have asthma, the worst in the state; and WHEREAS, Vehicle idling contributes significantly to air pollution, increase incidences of cancer and heart and lung disease, and adversely affects the health of young children whose lungs are still developing; and WHEREAS, The University of Southern California Children's Health Study finds that days with higher air pollution levels increase short term respiratory infections and specifically affect younger children disproportionately, leading to more school absences; and WHEREAS, according to Smithsonian Magazine, in September 2020 West Coast cities experienced the “worst air quality in the world,’ and the incidence of catastrophic wildfires will unfortunately become more common as climate change accelerates; and WHEREAS, countless notable Stockton Unified School District students have been negatively affected by environmental oppression and the unmitigated impact of poor air quality, and WHEREAS, Education about air quality raises community awareness and improves community health, and to promote public awareness and engagement, agencies across the state acknowledge, recognize, and participate in California Clean Air Day; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That Stockton Unified School District will recognize and participate in California Clean Air Day annually on the first Wednesday of October, promoting clean air for Stocktonians and Californians; and be it RESOLVED FURTHER, That the District shall provide school leaders with information on age appropriate Clean Air Day activities to reduce pollution, using materials to promote such activities to students and families, and examples of activities include: ● Walking/biking to school, ● Carpooling to and from school, ● Planting a garden or a tree; and be it RESOLVED FURTHER, That in alignment with the Healthy Air Living Program (a project of the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District), the Superintendent shall explore the feasibility and cost of expanding partnerships to: ● Identify and designate “idle-free zones” (as appropriate) at all schools and share information with families information regarding discounted and free clean vehicle programs, ● Provide air quality monitoring devices with the goal of installing such devices at all elementary schools in the District by 2022, ● Benchmark the capacity of our in-school air filtration systems at all K-12 schools, and improve air filtration technology as needed; and be it RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Superintendent shall explore the feasibility of setting clear student- and family-facing guidelines around air quality emergency situations, including considering: ● The maximum threshold at which schools and other critical services will remain open ● The provision of non-medical N95 masks and/or air filters to students, families, and staff members ● The possibility of opening SUSD sites as ‘Fresh Air Centers,’ and expanding free transportation to and from these sites; and be it NOW, THEREFORE, LET IT BE RESOLVED, that the Superintendent shall return to the Board with a status update on this work within months of the final passage of this resolution at the latest PASSED AND ADOPTED by the following vote of the members of the Governing Board, of the Stockton Unified School District, of San Joaquin County, State of California, this 27th day of October, 2020 AYES: NOES: ABSENT: ABSTAIN: _ Brian Biedermann, Interim Superintendent/Secretary Board of Education, Stockton Unified School District, San Joaquin County, State of California ... PASSED AND ADOPTED by the following vote of the members of the Governing Board, of the Stockton Unified School District, of San Joaquin County, State of California, this 27th day of October, 2020... all K-12 schools, and improve air filtration technology as needed; and be it RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Superintendent shall explore the feasibility of setting clear student- and family-facing... FURTHER, That in alignment with the Healthy Air Living Program (a project of the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District) , the Superintendent shall explore the feasibility and cost of