Madison Facilities Committee to publish annual indoor-air-quality reports; district to budget five-year professional tests starting 2026

Madison Board of Education Facilities Committee members were briefed Wednesday on the district's annual indoor air quality reports and on a state requirement for five‑year professional HVAC assessments that will begin producing budget impacts in 2026.

The presentation, delivered by an unnamed staff member from Madison School District facilities, explained that the district has completed 90 pages of internal assessments required annually by state law and will publish those reports on the district website. "These are the evaluations and assessments that we do in house every year. This is required by state law," the staff member said.

The reports are the district's internal, personnel-led inspections intended to identify problems early and allow maintenance crews to make repairs before issues worsen. The staff member said the district submits a summary to the state rather than the full 90‑page packet; once the board review is complete the district will provide the state with a URL showing the reports are publicly available.

Why it matters: State rules tied to post‑COVID policy require both annual in‑house assessments and a commissioned, professional test for each building every five years. The five‑year tests must be performed by engineers or HVAC balancing specialists; they evaluate airflow, rooftop units, air handlers, boilers and check for water intrusion and mold indicators. The district estimates the professional tests will cost about $50,000 per school.

Facility staff said the first cycle of the five‑year professional assessments will be due starting July 1, 2026. District work completed this year — described as HVAC upgrades at several schools — will supply professionally produced balancing reports for those sites and may delay the need to pay for a separate five‑year test for those buildings. The staff member described the state requirement as a 20% per‑year submission cycle over five years, meaning the district will stagger costly professional tests rather than pay for them all in one year.

The staff member also said the district uses the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's "Tools for Schools" program as the basis for its checklists and that the annual inspections are intended to catch issues such as water in units or ceiling‑tile staining before mold grows. The staff member added that failure to publish and submit the required documentation could affect the district's eligibility for some statewide grants because grant reviewers will check whether the reports were submitted.

Committee discussion focused on timing and budgeting. One committee member asked whether the district would receive a multi‑year grace period after completing recent HVAC projects; staff clarified there is not a fixed three‑year waiver but that buildings with recent professional balancing reports effectively reduce immediate costs because those reports meet the state's five‑year requirement for those specific schools. Staff said they plan to perform the next internal checks on Dec. 1 of the coming year to avoid deadline congestion.

The presentation included no formal motions or votes. Staff said the inspections will be published on the district website by the next day and that they will provide the state with the URL for verification.

Ending: Committee members asked staff to track the schedule so the district can spread professional testing costs across budget years and to ensure the published reports remain accessible for grant reviewers and the public.