The article “School Building Authority adjusting to increased funds” by State House News Service [Recorder, Sept. 5], contained lots of good news for school communities, towns and the climate. With significant new funding, the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) will be able to fund more school building and renovation projects all across the state. Historically, the MSBA has not seriously considered ways its funded projects would or would not reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Now, according to the article, MSBA’s executive director said the agency is “proposing a study to understand what would be needed to bring forward a change to electric and consider boiler replacement using heat pump conversions.”

This is a step in the right direction and deserves our support. But there is more we need from the MSBA:

■It should make a detailed and comprehensive plan for how we transition our existing 186 million square feet of school buildings to support the state’s greenhouse gas reduction goals.

■It should actively work with our schools to take advantage of a billion dollars in federal funds available right now through the Inflation Reduction Act for ground source heat pumps, which also cool in the kind of weather we are experiencing right now.

■It should address years of inequitable funding to ensure that low-wealth communities have the funding they need to provide all children, no matter their zip code, with a safe and healthy learning environment.

The Legislature has a role to play as well. It should pass H.469/S.242, “An Act establishing a green and healthy schools working group and implementation plan,” a bill sponsored by state Sen. Jo Comerford and state Rep. Mindy Domb. For more information, please see www.undauntedk12.org/. 

Ferd Wulkan

Montague