Healthier Schools SMART and SMACNA have long been advocating for proper ventilation in schools, and their hard work is paying off. By / Natalie Bruckner
Student health and safety have long been focal points in the education system, and the pandemic has shone a spotlight on one related issue in particular: Many schools are operating outdated and broken HVAC systems that don’t even come close to meeting minimum ventilation standards. Earlier this year, the Government Accountability Office (GAO)—which provides fact-based, nonpartisan information to Congress—estimated that 41% of school districts need to update or replace heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems in at least half their schools. In fact, the GAO estimated that 36,000 schools need HVAC updates. 4 » Partners in Progress » www.pinp.org
Speak to SMACNA contractors and SMART craftspersons in the industry, and this comes as no surprise. Labor and management across the country were lobbying for financial aid for schools to update their systems long before the pandemic hit. If there’s one positive to come from COVID-19, it is the greater urgency that is being placed on replacing poorperforming HVAC systems in classrooms. “Up until this year, we have continuously been out of sight, out of mind, no matter how much we have tried to educate the public on the importance of better ventilation in schools,” says Local 104’s Political Director Rob Stoker. “COVID-19 has brought
