A new report from the International Well Building Institute (IWBI), State of our Schools, 2021, shows a projected annual shortfall of $85 billion in annual U.S. K-12 public school facility funding, despite significant local and state efforts to deliver healthy and safe public-school buildings. This shortfall represents a nearly 80 percent increase since 2016 according to the report by the 21st Century School Fund, IWBI and the National Council on School Facilities.
Keeping nearly 60 million children and school staff offsite during the pandemic brought key aspects of public education and its facilities into focus, including the fact that building conditions affect overall health and health risks.
“The State of Our Schools Report shines a light on the unacceptable conditions facing many of our nation’s schools – especially in underserved and low-income communities, which widens social inequities,” said Donny Simmons, president, Commercial HVAC Americas, Trane Technologies. “Giving students and teachers healthier school buildings should be one of our highest priorities, and urgent action is needed. The science, funding and innovation are within reach to create healthier, more comfortable and sustainable learning environments that set schools and communities up for lasting success.”