Unanimous support for motion on Education Housing Municipality of Kerkrade

The VNG board must urgently ask the cabinet for more financial leeway for Dutch municipalities to properly ventilate schools. A motion by the municipality of Kerkrade to this end was adopted almost unanimously (99.78% in favor and 0.22% against) at an extra (digital) General Assembly of the Association of Netherlands Municipalities on Thursday.

Mayor Petra Dassen: "It is of course great that the members' meeting unanimously agreed to the Kerkrade motion. That only proves that Kerkrade is thinking in the right direction. But in principle, who submits the motion does not matter. What matters is what the motion is about. And that is that first of all, the VNG board should come to the table with the cabinet as soon as possible. Hopefully, the Kerkrade City Council has opened the door to a financial solution to this urgent, national problem. Because there is a great need for that, as is evident once again today. Many municipalities, together with education, cannot finance the installation of ventilation systems in schools without further help from the state."

In Kerkrade, 12 schools are eligible to have proper ventilation installed. This is important for improving the indoor climate. Research by the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) has shown that ventilation helps to reduce airborne infections with the coronavirus.

Not realistic

The approximate cost of installing a ventilation system is €25,000 per classroom. A large school building requires an investment of over € 600,000 and a smaller school requires € 300,000. Education alderman Jo Schlangen: "You're easily talking about five million in costs to make Kerkrade's school buildings fresher and more sustainable. The government subsidizes 30 percent of that, but then education and the municipality together still have to cough up 3.5 million euros. That's not realistic."

More government money

Education in the Netherlands and Dutch municipalities face a nearly impossible task, Schlangen argues. "The government wants children to be taught in a healthy, well-ventilated environment, but the subsidy conditions for the Specific Payment for Ventilation in Schools (SUViS) are not sufficient. The state funds up to 30 percent of the total cost of improving ventilation, which is too little. Seventy percent must be paid by education and municipalities themselves, which is too much. We want the state to take more responsibility and thus provide more money. It is now up to the VNG board to start a lobby towards cabinet and parliament."

Every municipality in the Netherlands faces this financial problem. There are schools everywhere. Jo Schlangen: "As a small municipality with a limited number of schools, Kerkrade needs the state to meet the standards of fresh air in the classroom. What is the situation then for the large municipalities in the Netherlands that house dozens of schools per municipality? I don't want to do that math. That's why we as a municipal government are submitting this motion today at the VNG membership meeting. The Dutch municipalities need more money for the large-scale improvement of the indoor climate of school buildings. The vote shows that. Unanimously our motion is supported."

Undesirable

Mayor Petra Dassen acknowledges that passing the motion does not yet guarantee a positive outcome. "But this is an important, strong signal that the cabinet and parliament cannot ignore, it seems to me. Of course, we don't know what the cabinet will respond when the VNG board comes up with the request for more financial leeway for municipalities. But it starts with asking the question and making it clear. And conducting a strong lobby. Every day that we wait longer for a solution we risk more corona infections in the schools. That is totally undesirable."