Climate Change Action Plan Year End Report July 2024- June 2025
Climate Change Action Plan Year End Report, July 2024 - June 2025
Climate Change Action Plan Year End Report, July 2024 - June 2025
- Climate Change Action Plan Operational Committee Members
- Background Summary
- Priority Recommendation #1: Support Environmental Justice Through Climate Curriculum. Training and Partnerships
- Priority Recommendation #2: Reduce Carbon Footprint from PGCPS Buildings
- Priority Recommendation #3: Commit to Renewable Energy Sources for a Net-Zero Emissions Future
- Priority Recommendation #4: Commit to Low-Carbon School Transportation
- Priority Recommendation #5: Reduce Food Waste and Grow Climate-Friendly Food
- Priority Recommendation #6: Commit to Sustainable Materials Management and Procurement
- Priority Recommendation #7: Commit to Climate Resilient Land Management
- Priority Recommendation #8: Lead by Example to Support Transformational Change
Board of Education Members
(July 2024-June 2025)
- Branndon D. Jackson, (Chair/District 6)
- Jonathan Briggs (Vice-Chair/District 2)
- Dr. Tiffini Andorful (District 1)
- Pamela Boozer-Strother (District 3
- Aimee Olivo (District 4)
- Robin Brown (District 5)
- Dr. Phelton Moss (District 7)
- Zakyia Goins-McCants (District 8)
- Lolita E. Walker (District 9, Chair)
- Erioluwa Ajakaye (Student Member of the Board)
- Millard House II, Superintendent
Climate Change Action Plan Operational Committee Members
- Jamee Alston, Management Analyst, Department of Sustainability and Resilience
- Kristi Murphy Baldwin, Chief Human Resources Officer
- Donald Belle, Supervisor, PreK-12 Science, Department of Curriculum & Instruction
- Jeffery Carpenter, Director, Employee and Labor Relations
- Charoscar Coleman, Chief Operating Officer
- Garth Deitzer, Maintenance Planner, Department of Building Services
- Mark Dreszer, Supervisor of Garage Operations, Transportation/Central Garage Department
- Christina Garcia-Starling, Program Manager, Department of Sustainability and Resilience
- Regina Garrett-Spruill, Supervisor, CTE-Environmental Resources and Transportation Technologies
- Sara Gillespie, Recycling Technician, Department of Sustainability and Resilience
- Lisa Howell, Chief Financial Officer
- David Hill, Transportation Operations Supervisor, Transportation Department
- Dawn Holton, Senior Mechanical Engineer, Department of Capital Programs
- Sheila Jackson, Director, Family and School Partnerships
- Shayla Jackson, Director, Department of Capital Programs
- Shawn Matlock, Office of Alternative Infrastructure Planning and Development
- Lynn McCawley, Senior Public Information Specialist, Office of Communications
- George McClure, Supervisor of Athletics
- John McDaniels, Program Coordinator, Department of Career and Technical Education/ JROTC, Public Safety and Homeland Security
- Dorothy Morrison, Director, Department of Sustainability and Resilience
- Max Pugh, Web Services Supervisor, Office of Communications
- David Rease, Associate Superintendent, Transformation, Leadership, and Continuous Improvement
- Keba Baldwin, Director, Transportation and Central Garage Mastan Shaik, Data Warehouse Supervisor, Division of Information Technology
- Mary Kirkland, Director, Food and Nutrition Services
- Ronald Skyles, Architectural Project Manager, Department of Capital Programs
- Pamela Smith, Director, Career and Technical Education
- William Smith, Project Management Supervisor, Department of Capital Programs
- Sam Stefanelli, Director, Building Services
- Sheila Stevens, Program Manager, Department of Sustainability and Resilience
- Jason Walker, Energy Management/Building Automation Technician, Department of Building Services
- Jason Washington, Associate Superintendent, Supporting Services
- Melissa Wilson, Supervisor, School Leadership Programs, Office of Professional Learning and Leadership
- Regina Garrett-Spruill, Supervisor, CTE-Environmental Resources and Transportation Technologies
Background Summary
On March 1, 2021, the Prince George’s County Board of Education established the Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP) Focus Work Group to develop a plan for creating and meeting climate action goals. Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) will work to meet U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) emission reduction targets by 2030 or 2040, depending on the target. To begin implementing the 58 CCAP items, the Chief Executive Officer created a CCAP Operational Committee, composed of PGCPS staff members who meet monthly to review each action item, share progress for each priority area, and discuss plans to continue moving the work forward. Additionally, eight priority area implementation work groups with technical expertise have been established and meet as often as required to execute tangible project tasks, which are reported on during the larger monthly Operational Committee meetings.
An annual report is published in July each year, as well as a mid-year update, to keep all stakeholders informed of our progress and ways they can support our continued work to reduce our carbon footprint. The report focuses on how a changing climate affects K-12 education and the actions needed to move toward a carbon-neutral future. PGCPS believes taking urgent action to combat climate change is critical to the future of our students and our community. The CCAP empowers our students, staff and administration to work as partners with our county and state to bring about transformational changes and help create a future where we all share the benefits of healthy air, clean water, job opportunities, and safe places to live, work, and play.
The Department of Sustainability and Resilience (DSR) champions the implementation of the CCAP and drives sustainability ethics in the school district. DSR collaborates with the Board of Education, members of the eight CCAP Priority Commitment work groups, and community partners throughout the implementation process. DSR increased its capacity by welcoming two Program Managers during the 2024-2025 school year. Though not all-inclusive, the 2025 CCAP Year-End Report highlights some key accomplishments toward the CCAP implementation for the period of July 2024 through June 2025. For a full accounting of CCAP implementation progress and achievements to date, prior CCAP reportscan be accessed here.
Priority Recommendation #1: Support Environmental Justice Through Climate Curriculum, Training and Partnerships
This recommendation is important because the awareness that is gained through education of our students, staff and the community is the first step in creating understanding about climate change issues, critical thinking and personal behavior
change to do the right thing. This in turn leads to tangible actions for climate solutions.
| EDUCATE |
|
| INCORPORATE CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE CURRICULUM INTO LEARNING STANDARDS AND BENCHMARKS |
|
| LAUNCH ANNUAL CLIMATE-READY LEADERSHIP SUMMIT |
|
Commercial building energy use is one of the largest contributors of greenhouse gas emissions at around 30% in Maryland, second only to the transportation sector. Decarbonizing our buildings through energy efficiency measures and sourcing clean renewable energy to power our facilities will help reduce our carbon footprint.
| COLLECT AND DISSEMINATE DATA ON BUILDING ENERGY PERFORMANCE |
|
| PERFORM COMPREHENSIVE ENERGY AUDIT ON ALL EXISTING BUILDINGS AND RELY ON DATA FOR THE EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES MASTER PLAN (EFMP) CYCLES |
|
Priority Recommendation #3: Commit to Renewable Energy Sources for a Net-Zero Emissions Future
PGCPS has committed to develop all new construction with clean renewable energy sources such as solar and geothermal. Clean renewable energy sources are not as carbon intensive as energy from fossil fuel. As we increase our renewable energy portfolio, we get closer to net-zero emissions with the co-benefit of energy affordability, as renewables cost less to produce.
| INSTALL SOLAR PANELS ON PGCPS PROPERTIES |
|
| SIGN ONTO POWER PURCHASE AGREEMENTS (PPAS) FOR OFF-SITE RENEWABLE ENERGY |
|
Diesel engine buses, while cheaper on the front end, have pricy maintenance and fuel costs. As PGCPS turns over its diesel engine fleet for cleaner alternative fuel powered vehicles, long-term cost efficiencies will be realized as well as reduction in harmful tail pipe emissions. This may compromise the health of our students, especially those with upper respiratory ailments such as asthma.
| ELECTRIFY ALL BUSES BY 2040 |
|
| MODIFY BUS ROUTE TO FUEL USE |
|
Priority Recommendation #5: Reduce Food Waste and Grow Climate-Friendly Food
In 2023, an estimated 40% of Maryland schools’ cafeteria garbage was food waste. This includes both food scraps and uneaten food, with half of the waste being food scraps and paper trays. PGCPS is working to craft solutions through food composting programs in schools.
| REDUCE SCHOOL FOOD WASTE AND INCREASE COMPOSTING |
|
| IMPLEMENT VALUES-DRIVEN, CLIMATEFRIENDLY FOOD |
|
| CREATE RESILIENT FOOD PRODUCTION ON PGCPS PROPERTIES |
|
Priority Recommendation #6: Commit to Sustainable Materials Management and Procurement
A part of PGCPS’s materials management strategy incorporates recycling at all schools and administrative offices. Each year, we aim to and have incrementally increased the tonnage of recycled materials that are diverted from the landfill. Educating students, teachers and staff on recycling helps us achieve this goal.
| PROMOTE RECYCLING & WASTE REDUCTION |
|
| REDUCE SCHOOL MEAL PACKAGING SENT TO THE LANDFILL |
|
| DEVELOP SUSTAINABLE PURCHASING POLICY |
|
PGCPS’s climate resilient land management considers how school grounds are managed and how this process can be redirected to achieve climate goals, with community engagement and stewardship-based environmental curriculum key to the process. Building the right partnerships and policies in mitigating stormwater runoff requires planning from project initiation to completion. Design teams will seek to minimize impact on existing sites by specifying native vegetation and minimizing site disturbance to the extent possible within site constraints. Planting trees on school grounds will provide shade, erosion control and carbon sequestration.
| PROMOTE RECYCLING & WASTE REDUCTION |
|
| INCORPORATE STORMWATER MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES INTO THE SCHOOL CURRICULUM |
|
| DEVELOP A DATABASE OF LANDSCAPE ASSETS |
|
Priority Recommendation #8: Lead by Example to Support Transformational Change
Leading by example for transformational change requires management support backed by allocation of resources (financial and human capital), establishing a network of partnerships, collaboration and advocacy at the strategic planning and policy development levels. PGCPS Board of Education, Executive Leadership, staff, and students alike are committed and leading the way.
| BUILD IMPLEMENTATION CAPACITY |
|
| INCORPORATE STORMWATER MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES INTO THE SCHOOL CURRICULUM |
|
| ENSURE EQUITY PERMEATES THROUGH CCAP IMPLEMENTATION DECISIONS |
|
Climate Change Action Plan Year End Report , July 2024 - June 2025 (Full Text)
Table of Contents
- Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP) Operational Committee Members & Board of Education (BOE)
- Background Summary
- CCAP Task Force Recommendations and Action Plan
- Priority 1: Support Environmental Justice Through Climate Curriculum,
Training, and Partnerships - Priority 2: Reduce Carbon Footprint from PGCPS Buildings
- Priority 3: Commit to Renewable Energy Sources for a Net Zero Emissions Future
- Priority 4: Commit to Low Carbon School Transportation
- Priority 5: Reduce Food Waste and Grow Climate-Friendly Food
- Priority 6: Commit to Sustainable Materials Management and Procurement
- Priority 7: Commit to Climate Resilient Land Management
- Priority 8: Lead by Example to Support Transformational Change
Board of Education Members
(July 2024-June 2025)
- Branndon D. Jackson, (Chair/District 6)
- Jonathan Briggs (Vice-Chair/District 2)
- Dr. Tiffini Andorful (District 1)
- Pamela Boozer-Strother (District 3
- Aimee Olivo (District 4)
- Robin Brown (District 5)
- Dr. Phelton Moss (District 7)
- Zakyia Goins-McCants (District 8)
- Lolita E. Walker (District 9, Chair)
- Erioluwa Ajakaye (Student Member of the Board)
- Millard House II, Superintendent
Climate Change Action Plan Operational Committee Members
- Jamee Alston, Management Analyst, Department of Sustainability and Resilience
- Kristi Murphy Baldwin, Chief Human Resources Officer
- Donald Belle, Supervisor, PreK-12 Science, Department of Curriculum & Instruction
- Jeffery Carpenter, Director, Employee and Labor Relations
- Charoscar Coleman, Chief Operating Officer
- Garth Deitzer, Maintenance Planner, Department of Building Services
- Mark Dreszer, Supervisor of Garage Operations, Transportation/Central Garage Department
- Christina Garcia-Starling, Program Manager, Department of Sustainability and Resilience
- Regina Garrett-Spruill, Supervisor, CTE-Environmental Resources and Transportation Technologies
- Sara Gillespie, Recycling Technician, Department of Sustainability and Resilience
- Lisa Howell, Chief Financial Officer
- David Hill, Transportation Operations Supervisor, Transportation Department
- Dawn Holton, Senior Mechanical Engineer, Department of Capital Programs
- Sheila Jackson, Director, Family and School Partnerships
- Shayla Jackson, Director, Department of Capital Programs
- Shawn Matlock, Office of Alternative Infrastructure Planning and Development
- Lynn McCawley, Senior Public Information Specialist, Office of Communications
- George McClure, Supervisor of Athletics
- John McDaniels, Program Coordinator, Department of Career and Technical Education/ JROTC, Public Safety and Homeland Security
- Dorothy Morrison, Director, Department of Sustainability and Resilience
- Max Pugh, Web Services Supervisor, Office of Communications
- David Rease, Associate Superintendent, Transformation, Leadership, and Continuous Improvement
- Keba Baldwin, Director, Transportation and Central Garage Mastan Shaik, Data Warehouse Supervisor, Division of Information Technology
- Mary Kirkland, Director, Food and Nutrition Services
- Ronald Skyles, Architectural Project Manager, Department of Capital Programs
- Pamela Smith, Director, Career and Technical Education
- William Smith, Project Management Supervisor, Department of Capital Programs
- Sam Stefanelli, Director, Building Services
- Sheila Stevens, Program Manager, Department of Sustainability and Resilience
- Jason Walker, Energy Management/Building Automation Technician, Department of Building Services
- Jason Washington, Associate Superintendent, Supporting Services
- Melissa Wilson, Supervisor, School Leadership Programs, Office of Professional Learning and Leadership
- Regina Garrett-Spruill, Supervisor, CTE-Environmental Resources and Transportation Technologies
Background Summary
On March 1, 2021, the Prince George’s County Board of Education established the Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP) Focus Work Group to develop a plan for creating and meeting climate action goals. Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) will work to meet U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) emission reduction targets by 2030 or 2040, depending on the target. To begin implementing the 58 CCAP items, the Chief Executive Officer created a CCAP Operational Committee, composed of PGCPS staff members who meet monthly to review each action item, share progress for each priority area, and discuss plans to continue moving the work forward. Additionally, eight priority area implementation work groups with technical expertise have been established and meet as often as required to execute tangible project tasks, which are reported on during the larger monthly Operational Committee meetings.
An annual report is published in July each year, as well as a mid-year update, to keep all stakeholders informed of our progress and ways they can support our continued work to reduce our carbon footprint. The report focuses on how a changing climate affects K-12 education and the actions needed to move toward a carbon-neutral future. PGCPS believes taking urgent action to combat climate change is critical to the future of our students and our community. The CCAP empowers our students, staff and administration to work as partners with our county and state to bring about transformational changes and help create a future where we all share the benefits of healthy air, clean water, job opportunities, and safe places to live, work, and play.
The Department of Sustainability and Resilience (DSR) champions the implementation of the CCAP and drives sustainability ethics in the school district. DSR collaborates with the Board of Education, members of the eight CCAP Priority Commitment work groups, and community partners throughout the implementation process. DSR increased its capacity by welcoming two Program Managers during the 2024-2025 school year. Though not all-inclusive, the 2025 CCAP Year-End Report highlights some key accomplishments toward the CCAP implementation for the period of July 2024 through June 2025. For a full accounting of CCAP implementation progress and achievements to date, prior CCAP reportscan be accessed here.
This recommendation is important because the awareness that is gained through
education of our students, staff and the community is the first step in creating
understanding about climate change issues, critical thinking and personal behavior
change to do the right thing. This in turn leads to tangible actions for climate solutions.
Priority Recommendation #1: Support Environmental Justice Through Climate Curriculum. Training and Partnerships
This recommendation is important because the awareness that is gained through education of our students, staff and the community is the first step in creating
understanding about climate change issues, critical thinking and personal behavior change to do the right thing. This in turn leads to tangible actions for climate solutions.
| EDUCATE |
|
| INCORPORATE CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE CURRICULUM INTO LEARNING STANDARDS AND BENCHMARKS |
|
| LAUNCH ANNUAL CLIMATE-READY LEADERSHIP SUMMIT |
|
Priority Recommendation #2: Reduce Carbon Footprint from PGCPS Buildings
Commercial building energy use is one of the largest contributors of greenhouse gas emissions at around 30% in Maryland, second only to the transportation sector. Decarbonizing our buildings through energy efficiency measures and sourcing clean renewable energy to power our facilities will help reduce our carbon footprint.
| COLLECT AND DISSEMINATE DATA ON BUILDING ENERGY PERFORMANCE |
|
| PERFORM COMPREHENSIVE ENERGY AUDIT ON ALL EXISTING BUILDINGS AND RELY ON DATA FOR THE EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES MASTER PLAN (EFMP) CYCLES |
|
Priority Recommendation #3: Commit to Renewable Energy Sources for a Net-Zero Emissions Future
PGCPS has committed to develop all new construction with clean renewable energy sources such as solar and geothermal. Clean renewable energy sources are not as carbon intensive as energy from fossil fuel. As we increase our renewable energy portfolio, we get
closer to net-zero emissions with the co-benefit of energy affordability, as renewables cost less to produce.
| INSTALL SOLAR PANELS ON PGCPS PROPERTIES |
|
| SIGN ONTO POWER PURCHASE AGREEMENTS (PPAS) FOR OFF-SITE RENEWABLE ENERGY |
|
Priority Recommendation #4: Commit to Low Carbon School Transportation
Diesel engine buses, while cheaper on the front end, have pricy maintenance and fuel costs. As PGCPS turns over its diesel engine fleet for cleaner alternative fuel powered vehicles, long-term cost efficiencies will be realized as well as reduction in harmful tail pipe
emissions. This may compromise the health of our students, especially those with upper respiratory ailments such as asthma.
| ELECTRIFY ALL BUSES BY 2040 |
|
| MODIFY BUS ROUTE TO FUEL USE |
|
Priority Recommendation #5: Reduce Food Waste and Grow Climate-Friendly Food
In 2023, an estimated 40% of Maryland schools’ cafeteria garbage was food waste. This includes both food scraps and uneaten food, with half of the waste being food scraps and paper trays. PGCPS is working to craft solutions through food composting programs
in schools.
| REDUCE SCHOOL FOOD WASTE AND INCREASE COMPOSTING |
|
| IMPLEMENT VALUES-DRIVEN, CLIMATEFRIENDLY FOOD |
|
| CREATE RESILIENT FOOD PRODUCTION ON PGCPS PROPERTIES |
|
Priority Recommendation #6: Commit to Sustainable Materials Management and Procurement
A part of PGCPS’s materials management strategy incorporates recycling at all schools and administrative offices. Each year, we aim to and have incrementally increased the tonnage of recycled materials that are diverted from the landfill. Educating students,
teachers and staff on recycling helps us achieve this goal.
| PROMOTE RECYCLING & WASTE REDUCTION |
|
| REDUCE SCHOOL MEAL PACKAGING SENT TO THE LANDFILL |
|
| DEVELOP SUSTAINABLE PURCHASING POLICY |
|
Priority Recommendation #7: Climate Resilient Land Management
PGCPS’s climate resilient land management considers how school grounds are managed and how this process can be redirected to achieve climate goals, with community engagement and stewardship-based environmental curriculum key to the process. Building the right partnerships and policies in mitigating stormwater runoff requires planning from project initiation to completion. Design teams will seek to minimize impact on existing sites by specifying native vegetation and minimizing site disturbance to the extent possible within site constraints. Planting trees on school grounds will provide shade, erosion control and carbon sequestration.
| PROMOTE RECYCLING & WASTE REDUCTION |
|
| INCORPORATE STORMWATER MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES INTO THE SCHOOL CURRICULUM |
|
| DEVELOP A DATABASE OF LANDSCAPE ASSETS |
|
Priority Recommendation #8: Lead by Example to Support Transformational Change
Leading by example for transformational change requires management support backed by allocation of resources (financial and human capital), establishing a network of partnerships, collaboration and advocacy at the strategic planning and policy development levels. PGCPS Board of Education, Executive Leadership, staff, and students alike are committed and leading the way.
| BUILD IMPLEMENTATION CAPACITY |
|
| INCORPORATE STORMWATER MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES INTO THE SCHOOL CURRICULUM |
|
| ENSURE EQUITY PERMEATES THROUGH CCAP IMPLEMENTATION DECISIONS |
|