 Dear reader,
In an alarming climate trend, temperatures this week are higher in Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, Washington, than they are in Austin, Texas – all places where Hechinger Report staffers live and work. It’s also very hot here on the East Coast, and all of this adds up to big problems for our nation’s schools. More than half of the country’s school districts need to update or replace multiple building systems or features, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office. It also estimated that about 36,000 schools nationwide need to update or replace their HVAC systems.
But America’s ailing school infrastructure is one problem that might receive some help. The pandemic forced a reckoning about the physical condition of classrooms, which account for our second largest infrastructure expense. These are some of the important stories we bring you this week, along with a look at what it will take families to recover from the past year. As always, we’d love to hear your stories, views and ideas as well. Stay cool.
Liz Willen, Editor
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