(HARTFORD, CT) - Today, Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz joined First Selectwoman Brenda Kupchick, the Fairfield legislative delegation, and local officials to highlight more than $6 million in grant funding recently allocated to Fairfield High School to support air filtration system upgrades.
“As we continue to take stock of the lessons learned throughout the past few years of the pandemic, we understand the need to make necessary upgrades in our schools’ infrastructure to ensure that our kids have a healthy learning environment,” said Lt. Governor Bysiewicz. “This grant funding is transformative for Fairfield – when we invest in the wellbeing of our students, teachers, and schools, the returns on our investment will be seen for generations to come.”
"The HVAC Indoor Air Quality Grants Program is a testament to the collaboration between our legislative partners, agency colleagues, union and municipal leadership, and other advocates ensuring our schools are equipped with modernized ventilation systems to promote healthy air quality," said Department of Administrative Services Commissioner Michelle Gilman. "We at DAS are proud to manage this critical program that supports Connecticut's students, staff, and families."
“We are honored to have you here today to celebrate the grants we received in the spring to help upgrade our HVAC systems here at Warde, but also at Fairfield Woods, Obsorn High and North Stratfield schools,” said Deputy Superintendent Dr. Zakia Parrish. “Through this program, we can continue to meet the needs of our facilities in order to provide a healthy school environment for our school staff and students, so that our students can continue to learn, grow and succeed.”
“We were so fortunate to be recipients of this grant, and we will have very happy high school students specifically when it gets warm,” said Warde High School Principal Paul Cavanna. “And, that's all due to the hard work and dedication of our schools, our community and specifically the Fairfield Warde High School community.”
“This started a long time ago indoor air quality wasn't something that anybody ever even heard of. And now this is something we're very familiar with, right? Indoor air quality and the importance of maintaining and making sure that the people and the students who are in our buildings are not being exposed to unhealthy air,” Fairfield First Selectwoman Brenda Kupchicksaid. “This will have a significant impact toward our total infrastructure.”
“Improving school air quality in Fairfield and throughout our state is a goal we all support,” said State Senator Tony Hwang. “I was honored to attend today’s ceremony at Fairfield Warde High School to applaud this HVAC grant funding to support air filtration system upgrades in Fairfield schools. The improvements enhance the learning environment, improve energy efficiency and address student and staff health. I thank Lt. Gov. Bysiewicz, Fairfield First Selectwoman Kupchick, and our local officials and educators for all they do for our community.”
“We're here today because everyone standing here literally has done something to help us get to this place and it's by working together. We have understood in Fairfield, how important these issues are. So, thank you very much, Madam First selectwoman, Madam Lieutenant Governor, Rep. Leeper for your leadership, and my fellow delegation members, and our leaders here from the central office and Board of Education. We are we're a great team. And that's why we've been successful in getting these funds,” said State Representative Cristin McCarthy Vahey.
“This is not a new conversation; it is decades in the works. But we've had a really great opportunity to center the conversation around the strong economy in the state – maybe the stronger in decades that has also enabled a really generous allocation of funds to this particular work,” said State Representative Jennifer Leeper. “This is a future focused investment for the well-being of our kids and our staff.”
"Our teachers and our students deserve a safe, healthy environment to work and grow and learn. And the work of Representative Leeper, the indoor air quality committee and the work of our town leadership has made sure that's happening here Warde and the other schools in town,” said State Representative Sarah Keitt.
Fairfield schools received the funding through the HVAC Indoor Air Quality Grants Program for Public Schools, a newly established state grant program that is providing funding to public schools throughout Connecticut to make upgrades to heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems.