Since 2020, Congress has passed $189 billion in funding to address indoor air quality (IAQ) in elementary and high schools. Along with proptech innovations aimed at improving IAQ, schools have never had more funding and technological resources to combat air-borne diseases, including COVID-19 and triggers for asthma, and to promote a cleaner classroom environment.

So far, though, much of the money remains unspent due in part to indecision over what technologies to use and the decentralized nature of school decision-making in general in the U.S.

The government funding for IAQ upgrades in schools began with $13 billion from the 2020 Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. An additional $54 billion was approved in December 2020 for schools’ use, and $122 billion for schools from the 2021 American Rescue Plan (ARP).

“The first two were part of the Cares Act and that was for basically directly addressing how negatively schools have been impacted by COVID-19,” said Ray Wu, CEO and co-founder of Wynd, a San Carlos, Calif.-based proptech startup that provides IAQ monitoring and improvement for commercial offices. “The American Recovery Plan — that’s part of the overall economic stimulus package — gave more money to schools. That’s the one often cited as being almost completely unspent: $122 billion for schools, 93 percent of which is unspent and needs to be either spent or at least allocated by September 2024.”

Read more...