Parents want LAUSD to do more for students amid extreme heat wave

The parents aren't just focused on this heat wave alone, they say they're advocating for climate injustice.

Sophie Flay Image
Thursday, September 8, 2022
Parents want LAUSD to do more for students amid extreme heat wave
The parents aren't just focused on this heat wave alone, they say they're advocating for climate injustice.

BOYLE HEIGHTS (KABC) -- Parents and community members gathered outside of Lorena Street Elementary School in Boyle Heights Wednesday. They expressed their frustration with LAUSD for not doing more for students during this heat wave.

The organizers are with Reclaim Our Schools LA, a coalition working to improve access and ensure racial justice in L.A. public schools. One parent told ABC7 this extreme heat is taking a toll on her 11-year-old daughter.

"She comes home very exhausted, very tired, very thirsty," said LAUSD parent Antonieta Garcia.

But these parents aren't just focused on this heat wave alone, they say they're advocating for climate injustice in public schools.

"The majority of these schools are covered in asphalt so you can imagine the imprint and impact that LAUSD is having on Los Angeles during these heat waves and overall during the year, bringing up the temperature hotter than it should be," said LAUSD parent Aleigh Lewis.

The parents are calling on LAUSD to reduce the amount of asphalt on school campuses. They want to replace it with green spaces, adding parks and trees to provide natural shade.

We reached out to LAUSD for an interview but a spokesperson provided ABC7 with this statement on their website.

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