Schools Are Not Drive-Thrus© idle-free study/campaign, spring 2026
LAZEAR CHARTER ACADEMY (free public TK–8 charter school)
Oakland, CA
Teacher/Advisor: Esperanza Magallanes, science teacher
Participants: 7th grade students
This study/campaign was made possible thanks to funding by the East Bay Clean Cities Coalition,
Richard Battersby, coordinator.
Step 1: introductory session conducted 2/5
Step 2: Initial data collection conducted for three days at school afternoon dismissal on 2/9, 2/10, & 2/12
Average temperature: 58 degrees
Total vehicles observed: 96; total vehicles idling: 48 (50%); total minutes/hours of idling: 194/3.2
Amount of fuel consumed*: 1.47 gal/three days / 0.49 gal/per day average
Amount of fuel consumed annually (est.) - based on 175 day school year: 85.75 gal
Amount of CO2 emissions annually (est.) - based on 175 day school year: 1,715 lbs**
STUDENTS CONDUCTING DATA COLLECTION
Step 3: school supports idle-free campaign in the Lazear Charter Academy's ParentSquare APRIL online newsletter!
Step 4: driver contact event conducted 4/23 and 4/24. Twelve 7th graders (wearing lime green safety vests) from Ms. Esperanza's class gathered outside the school in the pick up zones during the dismissal period between 2:40 and 3:15 to talk with drivers about the benefits of avoiding idling when possible. They also offered drivers idle-free information handouts in English and Spanish, and custom keychain incentives with the school logo on one side of the tag and "be idle free" on the other side. The students created artwork for this event and displayed a banner (image above) on the second day, provided by GDA executive director Wayne Michaud when he visited the school.
Step 5: Final data collection conducted for three days at school afternoon dismissal [scheduled to occur 5/18, 5/19 and 5/21]
Average temperature: ? degrees
Total vehicles observed: ?; total vehicles idling: ? (?%); total minutes/hours of idling: ?/?
Amount of fuel consumed*: ? gal/three days / ? gal/per day average
Amount of fuel consumed annually (est.) - based on 175 day school year: ? gal
Amount of CO2 emissions annually (est.) - based on 175 day school year: ? lbs**
COMMENTS:
*Amount of fuel consumed based on passenger vehicle — car/SUV/pickup truck — idling consumption of 0.43 gal/hr.
**Amount of CO2 emitted based on one gallon of fuel consumed equaling 20 pounds of CO2 emitted (gasoline - 19.64 pounds; diesel - 22.38 pounds)