About one in five California schools has no air conditioning — and CalMatters investigated how the districts least able to fix that are often the ones most exposed to extreme heat. Sara Hinkley was quoted at the center of the story’s equity argument.

Many inland school districts, where 100-degree days are common, have far fewer financial resources than wealthier coastal districts, said Sara Hinkley, California program manager for UC Berkeley’s Center for Cities + Schools. 

“Most of the spending on facility upgrades is based on local bond measures, which is based on your ability to levy property taxes,” she said. “So districts that have lower levels of property values per student are able to raise less money to upgrade their facilities.” The result is a cruel inversion: inland districts where 100-degree days are common tend to have far fewer financial resources than wealthier coastal districts with milder climates and more taxable property.

School districts in the Central Valley and the Inland Empire are among those that have invested less money because of lower property values and a smaller voter base to tap into, Hinkley said.