HARTFORD, Conn., March 1, 2022 – Next to having children get back to school, improvements in school building heating and air conditioning systems is equally welcome news.
Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont announced that he is proposing legislation that will establish a grant program to assist public school districts in paying for heating, ventilation, and cooling (HVAC) and other indoor air quality improvements to school buildings. He explained that the program is needed to help schools make necessary infrastructure upgrades in response to the health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
To launch the program, the governor’s budget proposal includes an investment of $90 million in funding that Connecticut received from the American Rescue Plan Act, which was approved by Congress last year to assist in the country’s recovery from the pandemic. The governor stressed that this initial allocation would be the first investment in the program, and additional rounds of funding can invested as needed.
It is to be hoped that the legislation will pass, and that additional school districts across the US follow Lamont's lead. A survey conducted in 2021 by American School and University magazine revealed an eagerness on the part of administrators to improve their school's HVAC systems. That new was followed by reports of some schools districts using ARPA funds for projects that were unrelated to, but described as health-related, like a new football stadium.
Another governor doing the right thing is Virginia Governor Ralph Northam, who announced in July of 2021 that the Commonwealth of Virginia plans to invest $500 million to improve ventilation and air quality in public schools, securing the completion of nearly all currently planned HVAC projects.
“One thing the COVID-19 pandemic exposed is that many school buildings in our state, particularly those that are of a certain age, are in serious need of air quality improvements,” Governor Lamont said. “Some people may erroneously think that heating and cooling systems are only about temperature control, but modernized ventilation systems provide an important public health function that filtrate the air and reduce airborne contaminants, including particles containing viruses. I strongly urge lawmakers to approve this proposal so that we can begin releasing funds to school districts and make these much-needed HVAC upgrades.”
The proposed program, which would be administered by the Connecticut Department of Administrative Services, requires municipalities to provide matching grants to fund the project costs.,
Examples of eligible projects include:
- Replacing, upgrading, or repairing boilers and other heating and ventilation components
- Replacing controls and technology systems related to HVAC operations
- Installing or upgrading air conditioning or ventilation systems
- Other similar work approved by the commissioner of the Department of Administrative Services.
Governor Lamont has directed the Department of Administrative Services to develop the proposed program in coordination with the State Department of Education, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, and the Department of Public Health.
The legislation is currently under consideration by the Connecticut General Assembly’s Education Committee.