Let’s clear the air in Conn.’s classrooms

More than a century ago, even before the 1918 pandemic, educators took the dramatic step of teaching outdoors to try to ensure the health of students That was an effort to stem the spread of tuberculosis in 1908. The Rhode Island experiment was occasionally emulated during the recent pandemic, yet time and technology have yet to guarantee clean air inside schools.

If COVID did not inspire school districts to invest in enhanced ventilation, what would? Yet an informal Hearst Connecticut Media survey of districts indicates that little has been done to address a problem that was only exacerbated by the coronavirus.

The common excuse, as expected, is to point a lack of funding. Yet federal COVID dollars were delivered to schools across the nation along with a suggestion that some of the cash be spent on modernizing ventilation. In too many cases, that appears to be akin to giving a holiday gift card to a 12-year-old with the expectation they would invest in warm winter clothes. There were exceptions (notably in Norwalk), but many towns spent the money elsewhere.

Part of the challenge is that clean air remains an invisible problem. If a classroom roof leaks and dribbles in dank liquids, there tends to be unified screaming about a crisis. But no one can see unclean air.

Teachers, at least, seem to recognize the problem. When surveyed by their union, the Connecticut Education Association, 85 percent pointed to improved circulation as a “very important” issue.

When the state Department of Education surveyed districts, the responses indicated 40 percent of facilities had central air conditioning for the entire building. Given that this doesn’t count facilities that did not respond, the true number is likely even worse.

Local school buildings tend to be old, and municipalities everywhere are struggling with decisions on whether to upgrade cherished landmarks or build new.

In the meantime, it’s another example of the lack of equality when it comes to classrooms. Some have centralized system, while others leave it to teachers to open windows to deliver fresh air like it’s 1919.

The standard defined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is to have up-to-date HVAC systems and air filtration methods. Many classrooms have added portable air purifiers during the pandemic, which isn’t all that much better than putting a bucket under those leaking ceilings.

Twenty-nine months into COVID, some of its lessons still refuse to be learned. In those early months, we were cleaning groceries before figuring out that we should have been doing was cleaning the air.

School districts in Connecticut insist on maintaining independence from state intervention on many issues. This is a case where Hartford lawmakers need to officially define air quality standards that local districts must meet.

COVID did not unmask this problem, which has existed for generations. But our gubernatorial candidates should suggest workable remedies on the campaign trail. Closing the achievement gap requires keeping kids in the classroom, and that demands Connecticut maintain healthy school buildings.

If a classroom roof leaks and dribbles in dank liquids, there tends to be unified screaming about a crisis. But no one can see unclean air.