Connecticut school districts may now apply for an additional $244 million in grants to improve air quality in their buildings, Gov. Ned Lamont announced Friday.

The new round of funding comes after the initial phase of the program drew criticism for denying applicants over technicalities and for favoring wealthier districts over poorer ones. In total, 50 districts received about $56 million in funds — barely a third of the money Lamont initially committed.

Air quality in schools has drawn increased attention due to the COVID-19 pandemic, during which most viral transmission has occurred in enclosed, indoor spaces.

“It is critically important that we have modernized ventilation and air filtration systems in all of our school buildings so that we can reduce the spread of viruses and protect the health of our students, teachers, and staff,” Lamont said in a statement Friday. “The COVID-19 pandemic revealed that many of our school buildings are woefully outdated and in significant need of HVAC upgrades.”

HVAC deficiencies in schools sparked frustration again this week, as 90-degree temperatures led to early dismissals statewide, particularly in districts that lack air conditioning.

“We’re not able to have students in school for their first week of school because of our lack of cooling systems and appropriate ventilation,” said Kate Dias, president of the Connecticut Education Association. “As long as we continue to have buildings that do not have upgraded HVAC systems, we will continue to have a problem.”

The state’s air quality grant program was first created last year in response to calls from municipal leaders, who said they lacked sufficient funding to improve school HVAC systems on their own. The state initially committed $150 million to the initiative, before lawmakers later added another $300 million.

Earlier this year, the state announced that 50 schools across 20 towns and cities had been approved for more than $50 million in grants. with Waterbury, Coventry, Fairfield and the regional district serving Lyme and Old Lyme among the biggest beneficiaries.

But a CT Insider investigation in June found that many schools had been denied funds due to seemingly trivial omissions, such as a missing signature on one page of a long application. Meanwhile, more than half of the grants had gone to districts in the top quartile of wealth, leaving many of the state’s neediest communities without help.

Lawmakers quickly called for the state to accelerate the program, distributing more money to schools as quickly as possible. Michele Gilman, commissioner of the state’s Department of Administrative Services, responded that the state wanted to help districts but also had to be “a steward of our taxpayer dollars.”

Gilman said the agency would work with school districts that had been denied during the initial round of funding to correct their applications and try again during the second round.

According to Friday’s announcement, districts seeking to apply for the new round of grant funding must do so by the end of the year, with recipients to be announced early next year. DAS announced Friday it has prepared new detailed program guidance designed to help local officials navigate the grant process.

“Educators, students, and school staff deserve a safe and comfortable environment in which to teach and learn,” Gilman said in a statement. “Our team at DAS has worked to provide detailed guidance and instructions to support districts in completing the application process, and I strongly encourage school districts to apply.”