This week, Minnesota’s District 197 School Board passed a resolution establishing the goal of transitioning the school district to 100% clean electricity by 2020. According to the Sierra Club, the district has made great strides toward 100% clean electricity and this resolution formalizes the district’s commitment.
District 197 is one of many Minnesota school districts with grassroots clean-energy campaigns pushing for similar commitments. Other districts include Minneapolis, St. Louis Park, Wayzata, and Mounds View.
This effort was led by district leaders, students from the LIVEGREEN club, and supported by Sierra Club’s Climate Parents program. Students presented a petition to the board with more than 1,000 signatures they collected from district students, parents, and staff.
School district leaders, parents, students, teachers, and community members attended the school board meeting on Monday to demonstrate broad support for the school board to pass this resolution.
The school board voted unanimously to pass the resolution, positioning District 197 as one of the first school districts in the state to commit to 100% clean electricity by 2020.
“This is a really exciting time for our school district,” says Lisa Johnson, sustainability manager for District 197. “This is the latest step in our ongoing commitment to engage students and staff on sustainability issues.”
In response, Kelly Dooley, a Minnesota parent and a member of Sierra Club’s Climate Parents, stated:
“District 197’s decision to power itself with 100% clean, renewable energy by 2020 demonstrates its clean energy and climate leadership, and we believe that other school districts will be inspired to follow its example.”
Filed Under: News, Policy, Projects
