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The District’s First Climate Action Plan
The Ithaca City School District Board of Education (BOE) approved a revised Climate Action Plan during its June 9 monthly meeting.
In June 2024, the board passed a climate resolution, a written acknowledgement of the climate crisis and a written commitment to reduce the district’s carbon footprint. The BOE formed a Climate Action Plan Advisory Council in September 2025 to develop the district’s first climate action plan, examine goals and create implementation steps.
“I am in full support of the teachers, students, community members and staff who helped create a vision,” Bradwell said. “I hope folks understood when I said we should have a climate plan advisory council that the goal was trying to think about how we implement the plan as well as how we have a blueprint for what to take place.”
The district’s Climate Action Plan will be reviewed annually and in accordance with the 2015 Paris Agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The action plan comes after a global survey of 10,000 people conducted in 2021 reported that 70% of respondents ages 16 to 25 were concerned about climate change.
“As a school district dedicated to preparing students for the future, we need to be responsive to their growing awareness of the climate crisis and concerns about how it will impact the challenges they will face in the future,” ICDS’s climate plan states.
Each year, the advisory council made up of students, teachers, administrators and a sustainability advocate from each school in the district will assess the climate action plan’s goals and progress, according to the plan. Goals include addressing building energy performance, updating HVAC systems, improving landscape management, integrating renewable energy, reducing waste and decarbonizing district transportation. Administrators and building leaders will incorporate sustainability measures recommended by the council.
According to the Climate Action Plan the ICSD will conduct energy audits of all district buildings by the end of 2030, and the district will reinstate data analysis for energy usage and carbon emissions. The district will align its sustainability goals with New York State’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act.
All new construction projects will prioritize climate impacts when choosing building materials and designing facilities, including repurposing existing materials and potentially incorporating renewable energy resources.
ICSD Climate Action Plan will create more electric vehicle charging areas to incentivize employees to switch to electric vehicles and support infrastructure for a larger electric bus fleet. Along with electric vehicles, the district plans to promote safer routes to schools with improved bike paths and lanes.
“Healthy schools improve the mental and physical well-being of students and staff, fosters learning, increases engagement, and promotes healthy behaviors, ultimately benefiting the Earth and students' lifelong success,” the Climate Action Plan stated.
The ICSD is working on creating school community gardens and expanding access to nature for students along with promoting sustainable and healthy food options in cafeterias. In addition to having a school community garden for students to learn, the district is also updating its curriculum to meet the Climate Action Plan, including the understanding of Earth systems that include indigenous knowledge and history, understanding of the climate crisis as equity social justice issues, exploring actions for a sustainable future, and acknowledging and supporting the emotions that students may have about the climate throughout the curriculum. The curriculum will work with the local community to expand learning.
Grant Terwilliger, Ithaca Times, 6/25/26
The Ithaca City School District Board of Education (BOE) approved a revised Climate Action Plan during its June 9 monthly meeting.
In June 2024, the board passed a climate resolution, a written acknowledgement of the climate crisis and a written commitment to reduce the district’s carbon footprint. The BOE formed a Climate Action Plan Advisory Council in September 2025 to develop the district’s first climate action plan, examine goals and create implementation steps.
“I am in full support of the teachers, students, community members and staff who helped create a vision,” Bradwell said. “I hope folks understood when I said we should have a climate plan advisory council that the goal was trying to think about how we implement the plan as well as how we have a blueprint for what to take place.”
“As a school district dedicated to preparing students for the future, we need to be responsive to their growing awareness of the climate crisis and concerns about how it will impact the challenges they will face in the future,” ICDS’s climate plan states.
Each year, the advisory council made up of students, teachers, administrators and a sustainability advocate from each school in the district will assess the climate action plan’s goals and progress, according to the plan. Goals include addressing building energy performance, updating HVAC systems, improving landscape management, integrating renewable energy, reducing waste and decarbonizing district transportation. Administrators and building leaders will incorporate sustainability measures recommended by the council.
According to the Climate Action Plan the ICSD will conduct energy audits of all district buildings by the end of 2030, and the district will reinstate data analysis for energy usage and carbon emissions. The district will align its sustainability goals with New York State’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act.
All new construction projects will prioritize climate impacts when choosing building materials and designing facilities, including repurposing existing materials and potentially incorporating renewable energy resources.
ICSD Climate Action Plan will create more electric vehicle charging areas to incentivize employees to switch to electric vehicles and support infrastructure for a larger electric bus fleet. Along with electric vehicles, the district plans to promote safer routes to schools with improved bike paths and lanes.
“Healthy schools improve the mental and physical well-being of students and staff, fosters learning, increases engagement, and promotes healthy behaviors, ultimately benefiting the Earth and students' lifelong success,” the Climate Action Plan stated.
The ICSD is working on creating school community gardens and expanding access to nature for students along with promoting sustainable and healthy food options in cafeterias. In addition to having a school community garden for students to learn, the district is also updating its curriculum to meet the Climate Action Plan, including the understanding of Earth systems that include indigenous knowledge and history, understanding of the climate crisis as equity social justice issues, exploring actions for a sustainable future, and acknowledging and supporting the emotions that students may have about the climate throughout the curriculum. The curriculum will work with the local community to expand learning.
Grant Terwilliger, Ithaca Times, 6/25/26
ICSD Approves Climate Action Plan
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