PRESS RELEASE: CoolinG the classroom

Boston, Sept. 16, 2026 -- Micrometeorological modeling of Boston has identified the top 10 schools and schoolyards that would see the most cooling if the city continues to adopt heat mitigation policies, according to a new analysis by the non-profit Smart Surfaces Coalition. Common sense solutions citywide could cool neighborhoods around Boston schools by up to 7.6°F, the nonprofit organization reveals in its new assessment.

Efforts to cool classrooms and schoolyards in Boston could not come at a better time. In May of this year, temperatures in Boston’s classrooms soared above 100°F, with teachers forced to turn off lights and spray water on students to keep them cool. These extreme temperatures are disastrous for students’ health and academic performance.

The review by Smart Surfaces Coalition, based on the organization’s new satellite mapping and micrometeorological modeling, identifies Mason Elementary School in Roxbury as the Boston school that would benefit the most from citywide cooling strategies. The elementary school’s neighborhood could be up to 7.6°F cooler with the adoption of policies and programs to add more urban trees, green-stormwater infrastructure, cool roofs, permeable paving, and reflective pavement technologies in the city. Holland High School of Technology, one of the schools with some of the hottest classrooms during the May heat wave, could also see substantial cooling from smart surfaces interventions. 

The top 10 schools in Boston with the greatest potential for cooling are:

1. Mason Elementary School: 7.6°F

2. Mother Caroline Academy & Education Center: 7.3°F

3. Boston Latin School: 7.1°F

4. Snowden International School: 6.9°F

5. Kingsley Montessori School: 6.9°F

6. Josiah Quincy Elementary School: 6.8°F

7. Eliot K-8 Innovation School: 6.8°F

8. Brighton High School: 6.8°F

9. Boston Green Academy: 6.8°F

10. Holland High School of Technology: 6.7°F

“Smart surfaces including shade trees, green stormwater infrastructure, reflective roofs and pavements, permeable paving and others can save lives,” said Greg Kats, CEO and founder of Smart Surfaces Coalition. “At a time of skyrocketing temperatures, these common sense fixes can protect Boston’s schoolchildren from dangerous heat inside classrooms and on the playgrounds.” 

In addition to the benefits to schools and students, citywide cooling has expansive health, economic, and environmental benefits. As one example, city staff in Boston updated their green stormwater infrastructure policy in 2025 in an effort to deploy more rain gardens, bioswales, and permeable paving around the city to both help cool the city as well as address stormwater flooding issues. Installing 3,000 cool roofs in Boston could cool up to 80,000 residents, according to researchers from Boston University, and researchers at Harvard found that cool roofs on schools can reduce outdoor temperatures by more than 2°F. If the state allowed Boston to adopt a cool roof code, SSC researchers estimated that it could lead to 4.6°F of citywide cooling and $82 million in energy savings by 2050.

Temperature reductions also boost academic performance, improve the health of outdoor athletes, and increase student attendance. A 1°F-hotter school year was associated with a 1% loss in learning in a study from the American Economic Journal. Students were 16% more likely to be absent on days when temperatures exceeded 90°F compared to temperatures in the 60s, according to a study of schools without air conditioning from Harvard University. Afterschool athletes are also dramatically affected by extreme heat, with more than 9,000 high school athletes treated for heat-related illnesses each year. Cooler temperatures mean kids can play outside at recess without worrying about scorching heat.

Ten major US cities, including Boston, have partnered with the Smart Surfaces Coalition (SSC) to make their infrastructure more resilient, sustainable, and cooler in the face of climate change. SSC research shows a total 35-year potential of $8.3 billion in electricity bill savings, $13.6 billion in public health benefits, and $14.9 billion in avoided infrastructure costs if those 10 partner cities embrace policies to build out climate resilient infrastructure. SSC also modeled the potential impacts for more than 800 suburban cities in the metro areas of the core cities.

The cities – Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Columbia (SC), Dallas, Jacksonville, New Orleans, Phoenix, Portland (OR), and San Antonio – are taking action. Some examples include a Sustainable Facilities Policy update in Charlotte, an update to land development regulations in Jacksonville that incentivizes resilient infrastructure, a Climate Bond Resolution in Dallas that ties climate mitigation and resilience requirements to the city's most recent $1.25 billion bond program, a landmark cool roof ordinance in Atlanta, a Cool Neighborhoods Program in San Antonio, a Shade Plan in Phoenix that includes a $50 million investment in tree canopy and constructed shade, and many other plans and policies.

Smart Surfaces Coalition:
The Smart Surfaces Coalition is proud to partner with over 40 leading national and international organizations with a shared commitment to creating cooler, healthier, and more resilient cities by cost-effectively reducing the impacts of extreme urban heat and flooding. Smart Surfaces — reflective, porous, and green urban surfaces along with trees and solar PV — can cut peak summer temperatures by 5°F or more, decrease flood risk, slow climate change, and improve public health, with the greatest improvements in low-income neighborhoods and communities of color. smartsurfacescoalition.org 

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Jim Popkin, Seven Oaks Media Group
jim@sevenoaksmedia.com
202.253.7959

Olivia Peay, Smart Surfaces Coalition
opeay@smartsurfacescoalition.org