SENATOR KUSHNER URGES SCHOOLS TO SUBMIT CLEAN AIR REPORTS, APPLY FOR STATE HVAC FUNDS
HARTFORD – State Senator Julie Kushner (D-Danbury), who is a member of the legislature’s School Indoor Air Quality Working Group, today urged schools to complete their annual HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) surveys and to avail themselves of UConn’s free room air filtration kits that can be used in any classroom in Connecticut.
Sen. Kushner also said cities and towns should also avail themselves of a recent change in state policy that allows for standalone HVAC project submissions (instead of being part of a larger renovation), and that the state has transitioned its school HVAC grant program into a permanent, monthly application process managed by the Department of Administrative Services Office of Grants Administration.
Sen. Kushner said Connecticut has made progress on improving school air quality and must continue the positive momentum since poor air quality and ventilation have been found to impede student learning and health, as well as the health of teachers, staff, and school visitors.
“We started researching this issue in 2022, just as the COVID pandemic was waning. We became very aware of just how much schools — without good indoor air quality — are a breeding ground for infections, the flu, for colds, and for all the things that rip through our schools on a regular basis,” said Sen. Kushner. “We’re really holding back the education process unless we invest in improving air quality in our schools. This needs to be a priority for school boards, for parents, and for the legislature.”
In 2023, Connecticut committed $56 million to projects across the state to address indoor air quality in school buildings. In 2024, Connecticut announced $122 million more in grant awards for public schools throughout the state to make upgrades to heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems.
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; and installing or upgrading air conditioning or ventilation systems.
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