Extreme Weather and Natural Hazards

In all regions, through all seasons, weather patterns and natural hazards are intensifying. Heat waves are becoming more frequent and extreme, storms more powerful, wildfires more widespread. School facilities across the country are increasingly vulnerable to these shifts; aging infrastructure, deferred maintenance, and outdated building systems leave schools poorly equipped to protect the health and safety of students, staff, and the broader communities they serve during severe events.

Extreme heat has emerged as a particularly urgent challenge: a significant share of the nation’s school buildings lack adequate cooling systems, leaving students and teachers to learn and work in classrooms that can reach dangerously high temperatures during heat events that are growing more frequent and intense. Research consistently links high classroom temperatures to reduced student attention, increased absenteeism, and diminished academic performance, making HVAC upgrades, including the installation of air conditioning in uncooled schools and the replacement of aging or undersized systems, among the most pressing facility investments needed by many districts.

Addressing extreme heat is one piece of a broader resilience challenge; school buildings must also be prepared to withstand and recover from floods, wildfires, hurricanes, and seismic events, each of which demands its own set of physical upgrades and operational strategies. For example, improving site design through effective drainage systems, flood-resistant landscaping, and shaded areas can minimize flooding and heat-related impacts. Fire-resistant materials and landscaping, backup power systems, and structural upgrades for seismic or wind resilience also contribute to facilities that can withstand disruption, recover quickly, and serve as emergency shelters for surrounding communities during and after disasters. Integrating extreme weather resilience into capital planning, facility condition assessments, and long-range infrastructure strategies is no longer optional. It is a fundamental responsibility to the students, staff, and communities that depend on school facilities to be safe, functional, and reliable under increasingly demanding conditions.