Lamont Announces $150 Million For School HVAC Upgrades

CONNECTICUT — Gov. Ned Lamont announced an additional $150 million for the public school HVAC upgrade grant program. The funding builds upon $165 million in federal funds that have been committed for air filtration improvements in response to the coronavirus pandemic

Lamont pitched the grant program earlier this year, and it was approved by the state legislature.

Half of the $150 million comes from federal American Rescue Plan Act funds and the other half is state bonding money.

Grant applications are open for school districts, and they have until Dec. 1, 2022 to submit proposals. Municipalities are required to provide matching grants to fund project costs. Awards will be announced in early 2023.

Eligible projects include:

• Replace, upgrade or repair boilers and other heating and ventilation equipment.
• Replace controls and technology related to HVAC operations.
• Install or upgrade air conditioning and ventilation systems.
• Other similar work that is approved by the state.

Distribution of grants will be prioritized on several factors, including: Age and condition of current equipment, air quality issues at school, age and condition of overall school buildings, sand availability of maintenance records.

“One thing the COVID-19 pandemic showed is that many school buildings in our state, particularly those that are of a certain age, are in serious need of air quality improvements,” Lamont said in a statement. “Modernized ventilation systems provide an important public health function that filtrate the air and reduce airborne contaminants, including particles containing viruses."

Additional rounds of funding can be invested as needed, so long as they are approved by the state legislature.