Gov. Newsom Signs Bill to Remove Regulatory Barriers For School Shade Structure Construction

A bill to remove regulatory barriers for the construction of shade structures at K-12 schools and community colleges was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom on Tuesday.

Senate Bill 515, authored by Senator Henry Stern (D-Malibu), will specifically limit the cost of complying with the requirement to provide an accessible path of travel to a free-standing, open-sided shade structure project that is on a school district, county office of education, charter school, or community college campus to the federal limit of 20% of the adjusted construction cost. Eligible shade structures must also be pre-approved by the State and are required to meet all Federal and State accessibility requirements.

Stern authored the bill because of the need for more shade in and around schools. Heat island, due to large areas of asphalt around schools, significantly raise temperatures during hotter months, leading to a heightened risk of heat-related illnesses, poor health outcomes and disruptions toward their ability to learn. The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) specifically found that installing a single shade sail on an elementary school campus cost hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional costs to meet regulatory requirements, and that a cost limiting measure was needed to keep the original amount from going up. The removal of the regulatory barriers will, as a result, make the construction and installation of the structures no longer prohibitively expensive and encourage schools to build more on a larger-scale.

“SB 515 was definitely a lower-key bill this year,” said Cleo Monahan, a researcher who tracks state-level schooling-related bill, to the Globe. “But unlike most school bills, this had something for everyone. This severely cuts red tape, helps kids and teachers out by helping lower temperatures, helps bring about more green space and trees in many instances, brings in more sustainability, and most importantly to ensure bipartisanship, doesn’t raise taxes one cent. The California Department of General Services even said that there would be no fiscal impact.”

Backed my many school districts, SB 515 made it through both houses this year with no recorded opposition. Last month, the Assembly vote came to a unanimous 80-0, with the Senate following with a 39-0 with 1 abstention. With universal support, SB 515 became one of Governor Newsom’s easiest decisions to vote on this session.

Newsom signs SB 515 into law

Following his signing on Tuesday, many supporters gave celebratory statements.

“August was the hottest year on record and unless we act now, our kids will continue to suffer on the front line of the climate crisis,” said LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho in a statement. “I am grateful to Governor Newsom for recognizing that extreme heat is a serious and urgent threat to students and for signing this common sense climate solution that cuts red tape to help schools make our campuses greener and more resilient.”

LAUSD Board President Jackie Goldberg added that “Our district is committed to greening and improving our infrastructure with urgency, and the last thing we need is unnecessary roadblocks. SB 515 reflects a proactive approach to enhancing the learning environment for our students. Through Senator Stern’s advocacy for better school facilities contributes to a greener, more resilient, and well-maintained educational infrastructure.”

Others noted that, with LAUSD and other districts likely going to face many more headaches around budgets and regulations in the coming years, not having to worry about complying costs around shade structures.

“It’s a small thing, but to a school district faced with a tight budget and needing to keep temperatures down, cutting through the red tape and making it happen quicker is big,” continued Monahan. “And not only that, they can build more as a result and get more bang out of their buck without raising taxes.

“Other states tend to wait until heating becomes a major problem. You wouldn’t believe the fights that some states have over whether air conditioning should be installed or not. But this is just something that makes sense and helps streamline something out. It’s a non-controversial education-related bill. There aren’t too many of those out there.”

SB 515 is due to go into effect soon.