California invests millions to replace heat trapping blacktops with greener schoolyards for children
Sacramento, California – California is pushing a different answer to extreme heat on school campuses: fewer blacktops, more trees, more shade, and more places where children can safely spend time outside. Across the state, officials say that effort is already reshaping hundreds of campuses through CAL FIRE’s Green Schoolyards program, which targets schools where heat, pavement, and a lack of tree cover have long made outdoor space difficult to use.
Since 2022, the Newsom administration, working with the Legislature, has invested more than $156 million in Green Schoolyards projects through CAL FIRE. According to the state, that funding has supported improvements at more than 215 school campuses, reached roughly 94,000 children, and led to the planting of more than 6,000 trees. The goal is straightforward but significant: replace harsh, heat-holding schoolyards with greener environments that offer shade, support learning, and reduce the dangers tied to rising temperatures.
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“Kids shouldn’t have to choose between going outside and staying safe from the heat. Every child deserves a healthy, safe place to learn. We’re planting trees, creating shade, and transforming schoolyards that will protect our children for generations to come,” Governor Gavin Newsom said.
State leaders say the need is especially urgent in lower-income neighborhoods, where school campuses often have little natural protection from heat. More than 2.59 million students in California attend schools with less than five percent tree canopy, while the median canopy across campuses stands at just 6.4 percent. Those figures have helped shape the program’s focus on underserved communities where asphalt dominates and shaded areas are limited.
First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom said the benefits go beyond comfort.
“When kids have safe, green spaces at school to play and learn outside, their overall health and wellbeing improve. California recognizes that every child deserves the best start in life – and that means access to green schoolyards that reduce heat, improve air quality, and provide hands-on learning environments that foster a connection to nature,” she said.
State officials argue the results can last well beyond the school day. Trees, gardens, and other nature-based features can cool campuses, improve air quality, capture stormwater, and expand urban canopy in neighborhoods that need it most. CAL FIRE Deputy Director of Natural Resource Management Eric Huff said the program is “helping create safer, healthier places for students to learn and thrive.”
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The initiative continues to expand. Earlier this month, CAL FIRE announced $13.5 million in new Green Schoolyards funding for educational facilities affected by the 2015 Aliso Canyon gas leak, including campuses in Porter Ranch, Granada Hills, Northridge, Chatsworth, and several other Los Angeles-area communities. More information is available through CAL FIRE’s Urban and Community Forestry Program webpage and the UCF Hub site.
