This letter is available as a PDF with full citations here.

July 22, 2021

Dear Members of Congress,

We, the undersigned, write as a collection of 50+ organizations that care about youth power, equity in schools, safe learning environments and a sustainable future. As the environmental crises facing our country and world grow both in intensity and frequency, disproportionately impacting those most marginalized, this watershed moment for infrastructure provides a much needed opportunity to ensure our students’ learning environments are equipped for the coming decades. 

While the Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework makes critical investments including broadband and clean water, it does not go far enough in addressing climate change and providing educational opportunity to ensure a more equitable, resilient, and sustainable future. As you develop plans for a budget reconciliation bill, we ask that you ensure this investment will support our generation and generations to come by ensuring:

• Sufficient funding to build healthy sustainable schools: Our schools received a D+ on America's infrastructure report card, and this outdated and unsafe infrastructure is detrimental to student health and learning. Providing sufficient funding for school infrastructure can help schools reduce their reliance on fossil fuels, utilize clean renewable energy, and provide healthy and safe learning environments for students.
• Adequate and energy-efficient transportation for every student: Across the country, students are taking dangerous and insufficient routes to school, with neighborhoods and communities being missed in school transportation pathways. As we invest in school-based transportation that touches every student, we should also ensure school bus fleets are electrified to be emission-free, moving us towards sustainability. We are encouraged to see some funds designated for this purpose in the existing framework, but believe that Congress must take action to ensure all school bus fleets can be electrified in the next few years.
• Up-to-date safety measures in every school, including air conditioning, heating, ventilation and protection against contaminants like lead and mold: According to a report issued by the U.S. Government Accountability Office, more than half of American public schools need major repairs to multiple systems within their facilities. Broken or deteriorated school buildings pose serious health and safety risks to students, such as dangerously hot temperatures, exposure to toxic substances like mold and asbestos, or air quality issues, which make it impossible to learn. The disrepair of American school buildings disproportionately affects our most marginalized students.
• Universal school meals sourced through sustainable food pathways: In equipping America’s public schools with the internal structures needed to support every student’s learning, we must ensure that all students, regardless of socioeconomic status, have regular and unimpeded access to healthy and nutritious meals. This commitment presents an opportunity to build a sustainable school lunch infrastructure supportive of the United States’ small farmers, particularly the BIPOC farmers historically excluded from past federal aid packages. In partnership with SEAs and LEAs, funds should be appropriated to provide students with fresh produce and food products sourced from the community.

Additionally, we are grateful to see the critical investments in clean water and broadband and want to underscore their importance to students:

• Clean drinking water in every school: In the 21st century, it is past time that every student has access to clean drinking water. Congress must ensure adequate free and readily available drinking water sources in every school, provide funding for training and technical assistance for school personnel relating to enforcement of water access policies, and prioritize energy efficient plumbing and other water infrastructure.
• Universal broadband infrastructure, ensuring every student and school has access to quick and reliable internet: The COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare the inequitable access to connectivity that prevents students nationwide from learning. Digital access is a necessity for 21st century learning, and a solvable crisis. 

As we build the infrastructure to support the next generation of the United States’ communities, it is critical that all funds dedicated to the United States’ public schools are allocated in partnership with their key stakeholder: students. 

The undersigned organizations remain ready to engage directly in the decision making process about federal spending and the role of youth voice in federal legislation.

Sincerely,

Student Voice

350 New Hampshire

a martinez consulting

America's Promise Alliance

Association of Young Americans (AYA)

Blue Future

California AfterSchool Network

Carroll County Kids for Equality

Center for Cities + Schools, University of California-Berkeley

Center for Green Schools at USGBC

CivicGeorgia

Common Sense

Cyrus Driver, Partnership for the Future of Learning

Earth Guardians Manhattan

EDGE Consulting Partners

Emily Gasoi, DC State Board of Education Ward 1 Representative

First Quarter Strategies

Future Coalition

GENup (Generation Up)

Georgia NAACP Youth and College Division 

Hampton Roads Green Party

HISD Student Congress

Human Rights Education Associates (HREA)

Iowa Student Learning Institute

Jenn the Tutor

Jewish Youth Climate Movement

Kentucky Student Voice Team

Mary Gonzalez, Partnership for the Future of Learning

National Action Network Youth and College Division

National Association of Secondary School Principals

National Black Justice Coalition

National Youth Leadership Council

Oregon Student Voice

Our Turn

Policy Initiatives Institute

Portland Empowered

Prepared To Teach, Bank Street College

Street Data

Students for Equity through Education

Students for Gun Legislation

Students Toward Equitable Public Schools (STEPS)

Teens Take Charge

The Center for Youth Media Advocacy at Carlow University

The Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis

The Learning Disabilities Association of America, Healthy Children Project

Urban Assembly

UrbEd

UrbEd Inc.

Young Invincibles

Youth Activism Project

Youth Infusion

Youth Jobs Connect

Youth Service America‍