Does Your School's HVAC System Qualify for Prop 2 Funding?
California passed a $10 billion school facilities bond. HVAC upgrades are a covered expense. Find out if your district qualifies and what a modern multizone system could save you each year.
Request a Free AssessmentMost California School Buildings Are Running HVAC Systems That Are Decades Old
85% of California classrooms are more than 25 years old. About 40% are 50 years old or older.
Most school buildings use a system called a multizone HVAC unit. These units mix hot and cold air at the same time to hit a set temperature. That means heating and cooling run together all day, every day. Energy gets wasted on every single cycle.
When one classroom calls for cooling, the whole unit turns on. Every room in the building pays the price when one space gets too warm.
The result is hot spots, cold spots, and poor indoor air quality. Teachers and students deal with it every single day.
Deferred maintenance makes it worse. When aging equipment finally breaks down, the whole building loses climate control - not just one room.
"The increasing urgency of HVAC and schoolyard upgrades to grapple with extreme heat" is cited as a top driver of California's Prop 2 bond spending, per research summarized by the UC Berkeley Center for Cities + Schools.
Independent Zone Control: The Right Fit for School Buildings
A multizone HVAC system gives each classroom its own independent heating and cooling. One room cools down while another heats up. No mixing. No wasted energy.
All major equipment sits inside a single rooftop penthouse structure. One location for compressors, fans, and controls. One service call instead of trips through every ceiling in the building.
These systems are built to connect to your existing ductwork and roof curb. Most school retrofits do not require new ductwork inside the building. Your school stays open during the upgrade.
Modern systems also support BACnet building automation, demand-controlled ventilation, and occupancy sensors. The system adjusts automatically based on how many people are in each space - cutting energy use without sacrificing comfort.
Independent Zone Control
Each classroom gets exactly what it needs. No more fighting over thermostats. No more complaints from teachers at opposite ends of the hall.
Title 24 Compliant
California's energy code requires specific economizer controls and efficiency ratings. These systems come with Title 24 compliant FDD economizers built in. Pass your inspection the first time.
Prop 2 Bond Eligible
Prop 2 bond money covers HVAC upgrades in California schools. Your district accesses that funding through the School Facility Program. A licensed contractor installs the system. We help you scope the project so your application is ready to submit.
Prop 2 Bond Money Is Flowing - Districts That Move First Get Funded First
California voters passed Proposition 2 in November 2024. It authorized $10 billion in bonds for public school and community college facilities. HVAC upgrades are a listed covered category under modernization and climate resiliency spending.
The State Allocation Board runs the School Facility Program on a first-come, first-served basis for most project types. About $3.9 billion in projects were already waiting for funding when Prop 2 passed. That backlog gets cleared first.
Districts that have their projects scoped, approved, and submitted early are in the best position. Districts that wait risk getting pushed further down the queue as the fund fills up.
If your district has been putting off an HVAC upgrade because of budget, the window to act is now. Read more on how a school HVAC assessment works, then request a free assessment.
Healthy Buildings, Better Learning Outcomes
Indoor air quality is not just a comfort issue. Research consistently links poor IAQ to lower student attendance, reduced focus, and worse academic performance.
Older HVAC systems were not designed with today's air quality standards in mind. They lack adequate filtration, fresh air ventilation, and the controls needed to manage occupancy-driven air changes.
A UC Davis study found that 85% of recently installed HVAC systems in California K-12 classrooms still did not meet the state's minimum ventilation standard. That is not an old building problem. That is a system design problem.
Modern multizone systems support high-MERV filtration, bipolar ionization options, and demand-controlled ventilation that adjusts fresh air intake based on how full a room actually is. That keeps CO2 levels low and students alert.
California's AB 841 created the CalSHAPE program - a $500 million grant program that funded HVAC assessments and upgrades in K-12 schools statewide. That program set the standard for what healthy school ventilation looks like. Prop 2 continues that push with bond funding for full system replacements.
A new multizone system addresses IAQ and thermal comfort at the same time.
What Poor IAQ Looks Like in a Classroom
Stuffy rooms. High CO2 levels. Headaches and fatigue among students. Teachers opening windows in the winter because there is no other way to get fresh air. These are signs your ventilation system is not doing its job.
What a Modern System Delivers
Consistent fresh air exchanges. Filtration that captures fine particles. Controls that respond to occupancy in real time. A learning environment that supports the people inside it.
How a School HVAC Assessment Works
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Step 1: Submit the Form
Fill out the contact form below. Tell us about your building - how many classrooms, how many floors, what your current system looks like. We follow up within one business day.
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Step 2: We Evaluate Your School and Requirements
We review your campus layout, how spaces are used, and what your district needs from a modern HVAC approach. That includes roof curb and ductwork constraints, electrical capacity, operating hours around the school calendar, and any constraints your facilities team is working under. You get a clear picture of fit before anyone locks in a full design.
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Step 3: Custom Scope and Quote
You get a detailed project scope and quote built around your specific building. You use that packet when you submit for Prop 2 / School Facility Program funding consideration.
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Step 4: Installation
The system is custom-built off-site to fit your existing setup. Most work happens on the roof. Your school stays open. Startup, commissioning, and staff training are included.
Real Results From a Real School District
A school district in Kansas needed a new HVAC system for a building where the HVAC could not go down. They chose a custom multizone penthouse system. The results are the kind of numbers California districts are now modeling for their own Prop 2 project scopes.
What Could Your District Save?
Energy savings vary by building. K-12 sites running older multizone systems typically see 15% to 25% reductions in electricity use after switching to independent-zone control.
Fill out the form below and we will model the potential savings for your specific building - at no cost and no obligation.
Questions from California Facilities Directors
Most California public K-12 schools and community colleges qualify through the State Allocation Board's School Facility Program. Your district applies with a scoped project. HVAC upgrades that address energy efficiency and thermal comfort are a covered modernization expense. We can help you understand what your project scope needs to look like.
CalSHAPE stands for California Schools Healthy Air, Plumbing, and Efficiency. It was created by AB 841 in 2020 and provided $500 million for HVAC assessments and upgrades in K-12 schools across the state. The initial grant rounds have closed. The program still set the ventilation and efficiency standards that California now applies to school HVAC projects. Prop 2 picks up where CalSHAPE left off - with bond funding available for full system replacements and modernization projects. If your district participated in CalSHAPE assessments, that documentation may help support your Prop 2 project scope.
The School Facility Program (SFP) is California's state-level funding mechanism for school construction and modernization. It provides matching funds to districts that apply with approved projects. The State Allocation Board awards funding largely on a first-come, first-served basis. Wealthier districts with higher local bonding capacity have historically received more funding - Prop 2 made changes to help smaller districts access more support.
The equipment sits on the roof. Most work happens outside the building. Interior disruption is minimal. Final connections are typically scheduled during a weekend or school break.
Usually not. The system is designed to connect to your existing ductwork and roof curb. A technical review confirms the match before anything is ordered or built.
Title 24 is California's building energy efficiency standard. Commercial buildings including schools must meet specific requirements for HVAC economizers, controls, and efficiency ratings. These systems include Title 24 compliant FDD economizers as standard equipment. Your project passes inspection without add-ons.
Most school buildings take 2 to 4 weeks from delivery to startup. The system is custom-built off-site to match your building and arrives ready to install.
Demand-controlled ventilation (DCV) adjusts the amount of fresh air coming into a space based on how many people are actually in it. Classrooms are full at 9am and empty at 3pm. DCV means you are not conditioning air for 30 students when the room holds 3. It cuts energy use and keeps CO2 levels healthy when the room is occupied.
Fill out the contact form on this page. We will follow up within one business day to learn about your building and confirm whether it is a good fit.
Request a Free School HVAC Assessment
Tell us about your building. We follow up within one business day.