Letters to the Editor: Playgrounds function as many families’ backyards. They need shade trees
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- Santa Monica school officials are removing shade trees from campuses and replacing green spaces with artificial turf to accommodate new building projects.
- For many families, school playgrounds and green spaces serve as essential outdoor gathering spots and recreational areas.
- The school district’s removal of nearly all 18 trees planted by parent volunteers in 2008 raises concerns about student access to cooling shade.
To the editor: Thanks so much for the article about lack of shade on California’s K-12 campuses (“Most of California’s public K-12 students go to school on campuses with virtually no shade,” Oct. 29).
I live in Santa Monica and our school board is busy cutting down school campus trees and replacing green grassy spaces with artificial turf. Overall, they’re shrinking regenerative green outdoor spaces so that they can keep building large new buildings — the over-development agenda. It’s very troubling.
Even though Santa Monica is a wealthy city overall, we still have many kids on free and reduced-cost lunch at all of our school sites. In addition, Santa Monica is almost 80% multifamily residences, meaning that our parks and the school campus green spaces and playgrounds function as many, many families’ backyards.
Regardless of family resources, every kid on the planet needs green outdoor space and cooling shade from trees to thrive.
Our local elementary school PTA planted 18 trees on the campus back in 2008 and nearly all of them are slated for removal now by the school district — to be replaced with another large building and a small artificial turf field. I was part of that planting team and for two years afterward, each classroom was responsible for watering one of the trees to help it thrive and take root.
It’s all very sad and nonsensical so, again, I appreciate staff writer Tyrone Beason and the Los Angeles Times shining a light on this issue.
Ann Bowman, Santa Monica
