A city in Westchester is committing millions of dollars toward putting air conditioning in all of its school buildings to help students deal with rising temperatures.
In an announcement on Wednesday, Aug. 28, Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano and Superintendent Aníbal Soler, Jr. revealed that $5.8 million in capital funding would be spent on air-conditioning in the city’s 39 public school buildings over the next three years.
The initiative is part of an effort to improve all aspects of the school experience for the city’s students, Spano and Soler said.
“Investing in the spaces in which our students learn is equally important as the funding needed to educate them,” Spano said, adding, “With rising temperatures here and across our nation, this type of investment is not a luxury but a necessity for students and staff.”
“This plan reflects our dedication to providing every student and staff member with the best possible conditions to learn, work, and thrive,” Soler said.
According to officials, the average age of school buildings in Yonkers is 75 years old, with many dating back a century.