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Bill Would Require Districts to Adopt Air‑Quality and Temperature Policies; Committee Hears Resource and Practicality Questions
Summary
Lawmakers considered a bill asking school boards to adopt policies addressing indoor air quality and high/low temperature mitigation; proponents described the EPA Tools for Schools as a low‑cost resource, while districts raised concerns about capacity and unfunded requirements.
House Bill 329 would amend existing statute on school air quality to add explicit attention to indoor temperature and to require the Department of Education to notify schools about the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency “Tools for Schools” program and require implementation. Sponsors said the change is intended to prompt districts to assess mitigation strategies that improve health and learning conditions without mandating specific capital upgrades.
Representative Brian Sullivan, a former teacher who introduced the bill, described studies showing learning declines at very high classroom temperatures and said the statute would prompt local school boards to "think about ways of mitigating high temperatures" and write policies tailored to local facilities and budgets. Representative Hope Damon, cosponsor, said the EPA Tools for Schools kit provides practical, low‑ or no‑cost actions districts can take, such as shading and scheduled ventilation, and said the bill is intentionally less prescriptive than a prior version from last year.
NEA‑New Hampshire and parent witnesses recounted incidents where classrooms reached uncomfortable or unsafe temperatures, and teachers struggled to teach. NEA President Megan Tuttle said the bill’s purpose is to start a statewide conversation and to require districts to plan; she cited examples of days where indoor air or temperature conditions disrupted learning.
School boards and district representatives urged caution and asked the committee to avoid unfunded mandates. Becky Wilson of the School Boards Association said districts already make safety and facilities decisions locally and that some older or very small districts may lack the resources to implement some measures without state support. Jerry Frew of NHSAA noted that superintendents already handle decisions about closures and delays for weather and facilities and that the sponsor’s less prescriptive approach this year reduces operational burdens.
Ending: Committee members asked the Department of Education and stakeholders for implementation guidance and links to the EPA tools; the department and unions said they would provide the toolkit and recommended practices. No committee vote was recorded.
