Fresh Air: The Importance of HVAC on Learning
When thinking about building the best schools, people often mention having adequate classroom size; using bright, cheerful colors; ensuring furnishings are up-to-date; and providing new athletic facilities. But there is something you don’t see that can have a big impact on learning: the heating and cooling system.
Recent research shows the importance of investing in this school infrastructure. Researchers showed that HVAC upgrades and removing pollutants substantially and significantly boosted test scores. They also found there was a difference between low and high socioeconomic status districts (defined by the percent of students eligible for free and reduced-price lunches) in investing in these upgrades. In Duval County, 150 of our public schools qualify for the Community Eligibility Provision, which provides meals for all students in each school if the proportion of students at the schools who qualify for other programs like HeadStart and TANF and SNAP are above 25%, removing paperwork barriers to feeding children. The program may increase the cutoff from 25% to 60% this year.
Low socioeconomic districts were slightly more likely than high socioeconomic districts to approve bonds to fund building projects that raise test scores, such as HVAC systems, safety and health projects, and STEM equipment. They were also more likely to invest in classroom space, an investment that leads to both higher test scores and greater property values (new athletic facilities, for what it’s worth, resulted in increased area property values but no discernable increase in student test scores).
Duval County voters approved an investment in public schools through the half-cent sales tax that is being used to update and build new schools. You can see how the revenue from that sales tax is being used on the sales tax dashboard.
Another form of infrastructure funding comes from the state of Florida’s PECO (Public Education Capital Outlay), a primary source of funding for educational infrastructure projects. Established to address the capital needs of public education institutions, PECO allocates funds for the construction, renovation, and maintenance of school facilities.
The Florida Department of Education outlines the PECO Capital Projects Plans annually, detailing the distribution of funds across various projects. Among the factors considered in allocating funds are:
- The urgency of needs
- Potential impact on student outcomes
- Alignment with strategic educational goals.
The 2024-2025 Capital Projects Plan provides a comprehensive overview of prioritized projects and their funding statuses. fldoe.org
As the research indicates, strategic investments in school infrastructure are vital for facilitating academic success. Districts must prioritize essential facilities and targeting resources toward underserved areas can lead to meaningful improvements in educational outcomes.
As the national funding landscape may change to include more block grants to the state level, policymakers would be well advised to make sure the neediest of districts are improved via these recommendations.?