CASH and the CASH Maintenance Network quoted in EdSource “California Public Schools Struggle to Pay for Ventilation Upgrades, Key to Safely Reopen Schools”

This EdSource article by Betty Marquez Rosales and Carylon Jones focuses on the challenges schools face in paying for HVAC assessments and upgrades, which is a key component of the Governor’s priority to reopen schools as soon as possible. Those quoted in the article include CASH Board Member Julie Boesch; Chair of the CASH Maintenance Network (CMN) Joe Dixon; and CASH advocate Ian Padilla. Jeff Vincent from the Center for Cities and Schools is also quoted.

CASH is working to expedite the development of the AB 841 grant program, and the Governor’s $2 billion 2020-2021 State Budget K-12 school reopening plan allows the funding to be used to improve school ventilation and indoor/outdoor learning space safety. CASH and the CMN are advocating for these and other sources of funding to ensure schools have the resources they need to ensure safe and healthy learning environments.

–Ian Padilla

CASH 42nd Annual Conference on School Facilities

Rescheduled to June 28-30, 2021

Dear CASH Annual Conference Participants:

On behalf of the CASH Leadership, this letter is to inform you that the in-person CASH 42nd Annual Conference on School Facilities scheduled for Monday, March 1 through Wednesday March 3, 2021 in Palm Springs has been rescheduled to be in-person on Monday, June 28 through Wednesday, June 30, 2021 at the Palm Springs Convention Center. The Golf Tournament is rescheduled to Sunday, June 27.

Assembly Bill 841 (Ting): School Energy Efficiency Stimulus Program

AB 841 (Ting) is important legislation that would help school facility and maintenance departments by providing grants to improve HVAC systems, which is a critical healthy air quality issue to schools reopening in the COVID-19 era, as well as grants to improve drinking water quality.  CASH is in strong support of this legislation (click here to view CASH support letter).

We thank State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond for his on-point OpEd in the Sacramento Bee today.

“It is not often that we have an immediate need and can make an immediate impact with legislation. But Assembly Bill 841, known as the Healthy Schools for a Healthy Recovery Bill, will help do just that. AB 841, written by Assemblymember Phil Ting, D-San Francisco, will make schools safer in the time of COVID-19, save schools money, put people to work today and generate cleaner air for communities — all at no cost to taxpayers.

AB 841, which awaits the governor’s signature, will have an immediate impact by providing funds to fix, replace and upgrade old and inefficient HVAC systems to reduce the spread of the coronavirus, and repair and replace old, inefficient water fixtures that might leach lead into drinking water.”

We hope you will contact the Governor today to encourage his signature on AB 841.  He has until September 30 to act.

Suggested Messaging:

• Reopening schools in the COVID-19 era presents many challenges.  We are concerned are not only with hard surface cleanliness and disinfection, but more broadly that indoor air quality will be such that their child could be infected because of the air expelled by another child or adult. Indoor air quality is a critical issue to reopen and safely operate schools, and parents are concerned about sending their children to schools this fall.  [Insert site-specific examples if possible].
• AB 841 would create the School Energy Efficiency Stimulus Program which would provide grants to make critical investments in energy efficiency, healthy indoor air and water quality. For this reason, the [Insert your school district] strongly supports AB 841 because we believe that investments in healthy learning environments are vital as school leaders and local communities contemplate reopening and operating in the face of COVID-19.

~CASH Staff

CASH Maintenance Network: New Healthy Schools Resource

Healthy Schools: Cleaning, Disinfecting, Healthy Air Quality, Scheduling and Social Distancing
A Resource for School Facility and Maintenance Departments

COVID-19 has presented significant challenges as education and state leaders contemplate re-opening schools in a way that ensures they are clean, safe and healthy. The CASH Maintenance Network (CMN), as part of the Coalition for Adequate School Housing (CASH), has developed the Healthy Schools: Cleaning, Disinfecting, Healthy Air Quality, Scheduling and Social Distancing Guidebook to provide K-12 school maintenance and facility departments with guidance, Best Management Practices (BMPs), and key resources.

The “Healthy Schools Guidebook” includes information on how to keep students and staff safe, cleaning and disinfecting, ensuring healthy indoor air quality, social distancing and scheduling, and managing fiscal impact. The Guidebook was developed by practitioners from school maintenance departments, school facility directors, county offices of education, and private industry, and is intended as a practical guide. The CMN would like to thank them for their contributions to this project.