Although teachers have for years drawn attention to the problem of poor air quality in schools making students and educators sick, it took the COVID-19 pandemic for the general public and lawmakers to understand that poor air quality is a significant public health issue that must be remedied. Thanks to a grant program created by the governor and legislature last spring at the urging of CEA and coalition partners, some Connecticut schools long in need of HVAC upgrades will finally be able to make vital improvements.
The state today announced the first round of schools to receive funding for upgrades to HVAC systems during a news conference in Waterbury at Walsh Elementary, one of the schools selected for funding. The state has set aside $150 million dedicated to HVAC improvements, half coming from federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding and half from state bond funding.
“This is an important investment, and we need to continue to invest and take not just baby steps but big leaps into what our schools should be—which is really heathy environments where kids can learn and teachers can work,” said CEA President Kate Dias. “If we take care of our schools we allow the children to thrive, we allow the adults to thrive, we cut down on absences—there are so many ways that this truly impacts the day-to-day of our schools. An investment of this kind says, education matters.”
Among the champions of allowing ARPA funds to be used for school HVAC upgrades was Connecticut Congresswoman Jahana Hayes, the 2016 national teacher of the year. Hayes said she urged her colleagues in Congress to recognize that when it came to learning during the pandemic, schools had vastly differing levels of resources.
While the amount of ARPA money allocated to urban districts may have seemed large, Hayes said, “Decades of disinvestment and under investment have put these school systems so far behind. While these American Rescue Plan Act funds were necessary and important and critical for so many districts, it did not put them ahead. It’s great to see that Governor Lamont and the administration’s Department of Public Health said, ‘what else can we do to assist with our school districts?'”
Congresswoman Hayes, a Waterbury native and former Waterbury teacher, emphasized the vital need for HVAC improvements in schools.
Hayes, a Waterbury native, knows firsthand why investments in the health and safety of neighborhood public schools are so vital for a community.
“My grandmother worked right in this building,” said Hayes, standing in the basement library of Walsh Elementary during the press conference. “She worked for 25 years as a classroom aid between Walsh School and Drake School, and I can tell you, I spent many summers in this basement right down the hall. My grandmother was hospitalized many times and ultimately died of lung cancer. She never smoked, she never had any issues. She only came to work, went home, and went to church. We always talk about it as a family, wondering what could have been the cause. So many people that live in these cities that are in these buildings that are decades old have lived through generations of asbestos, of poor air quality, of patchwork repairs, updates, and renovations. It is time to address these things. Our children deserve better.”
“Schools ought to be safe places. If nothing else is safe, schools should be safe,” said Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal. “They should be safe from gun violence, they should be safe from hunger, they should be safe from bad air. Bad air in our schools not only costs money, it costs lives.”
He said that, in addition to ARPA funds that are being spent to improve school HVAC systems, thanks to the efforts of advocates like Congresswoman Hayes, the Inflation Reduction Act also has money specifically for air quality in schools.
“To all the educators who are here, all the teachers, to CEA and AFT, to everyone involved in education in Connecticut, thank you,” said Blumenthal. “Thank you for doing such great work with our kids, but also for being their voice and their advocate.”
Governor Lamont said that, during the pandemic, he heard loud and clear from teachers and parents about the importance of improving air quality in schools. “We don’t solve this overnight, but about $150 million dollars a year—we’re making a difference. With this new state program, we have a dedicated source of funding to continue these upgrades and partner with schools on these much-needed infrastructure improvements.”
“This is an important investment for all of our communities, but we have prioritized our most vulnerable communities because these are the communities that haven’t had the funds to update HVAC systems,” said Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz. “Some of our wealthier school districts across the state have done this years ago, but it’s hard for challenged districts like here in Waterbury to make these kinds of investments.”
The first round of applications for HVAC funding from districts last fall indicated a serious level of need around the state, particularly in disadvantaged districts. Additional HVAC grant funds are expected to be allocated to districts going forward, and Governor’s Bill 980 would increase the bonding allocation for the school HVAC grant program from $75 million to $375 million, with $150 million of that money being authorized as of July 2024.
“You have grandparents, parents, and children who have all gone through Wash School, graduated from the school, they want to be here, so it is up to us to make this a safe place for them to be,” Hayes said. “And at the very least, ensure that they can take a deep breath safely.”
