PRESS RELEASE: CoolinG the classroom

Columbia, Sept. 21, 2026 -- Micrometeorological modeling of Columbia has identified the top 10 Columbia schools and schoolyards that would see the most cooling if the city continues to adopt heat mitigation policies, according to a new review by the non-profit Smart Surfaces Coalition. Common sense solutions citywide could cool neighborhoods around Columbia schools by up to 4.1°F, the nonprofit organization reveals in its new assessment.

Efforts to cool classrooms in Columbia could not come at a better time. This year, schools throughout South Carolina faced the brunt of extreme heat, from cancelled outdoor practices to indoor recess to bus rides without AC. The Columbia area, hit particularly hard, saw school AC units damaged by a power surge during a period of high energy demand. School district officials are raising the alarm, and extreme temperatures can be 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 W. A. Perry Middle School as the Columbia school that would benefit the most from citywide cooling strategies. The 2026 Magnet School of Distinction and its surrounding neighborhood could be up to 4.1°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. 

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

1. W. A. Perry Middle School: 4.1°F

2. Watkins-Nance Elementary School: 3.8°F

3. St. Peter’s Catholic School: 3.4°F

4. Richland One Middle College: 3.4°F

5. C. A. Johnson High School: 3.3°F

6. Carver-Lyon Elementary School: 3.3°F

7. St. Martin De Porres Catholic School: 3.2°F

8. Dreher High School: 3.1°F

9. Clear Dot Charter School: 2.9°F

10. Logan Elementary School: 2.9°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 Columbia’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. Nationally, for example, the Smart Surfaces Coalition helped develop Atlanta’s 2025 Cool Roof Ordinance, projected to cool the city by 2.9°F, cut electricity bills by $310 million, and deliver over $450 million in public health benefits while protecting workers from sweltering summer temperatures. 

The 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 Columbia, have partnered with 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 improved green stormwater infrastructure policies in Boston, 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 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
562.484.1119