May 21, 2024

Bolinsky Celebrates State Indoor Air Quality Grants for Newtown

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Bolinsky Celebrates State Indoor Air Quality Grants for Newtown

NEWTOWN- State Rep. Mitch Bolinsky (R-106) hailed the awarding of $3.5-million of 2024 state indoor air quality (IAQ) grants to Newtown Public Schools.

The grants are being awarded through the HVAC Indoor Air Quality Grants Program for Public Schools, a state program that is administered by DAS. It was created as part of the budget adjustment bill that Governor Lamont signed into law in 2022 (Public Act 22-118).

In fiscal year 2023, DAS had committed $56 million to projects across the state to address indoor air quality in school buildings.

Rep. Bolinsky has been one of the state’s biggest IAQ advocates for 12-years, supports healthy, clean air in all schools and public buildings. He expressed gratitude for these grants to improve air quality, reduce illness, allergies, and exposure to environmental dangers inherent in many older buildings.

“I want to extend Newtown’s most sincere thank you to the Department of Administrative Services (DAS) for our inclusion in the second-round of Indoor Air Quality Improvement Grants! These projects will result in health benefits and ensuring a more comfortable learning environment for our students, educators, staff, and facility visitors.

We are appreciative of DAS’s reconsideration of our retroactive application for the historic Hawley School, but we are also grateful for the opportunity to do indoor air quality improvements at Head o’ Meadow School, and the A and B wings of Newtown High School.”

The grants are being awarded through the HVAC Indoor Air Quality Grants Program for Public Schools, a state program that is administered by DAS. In fiscal year 2023, DAS committed $56 million to projects across the state to address indoor air quality in school buildings.

These $122 million in grants represent the second round of funding released through this program. The application period opened on September 8, 2023, and school districts seeking grants were required to submit applications to the state by December 31, 2023. Municipalities are required to provide matching funds, based on their school construction reimbursement rate, to support the project costs.

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;
Installing or upgrading air conditioning or ventilation systems; and
Other improvements to indoor air quality.