A report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released on July, 23, 2021 showed the importance of vaccinations for school staff. The report, based on a study of the School District of Philadelphia(PA), examined infection rates in school staff who were vaccinated and unvaccinated. When in-person schooling resumed the week of March 21, 2021, the school district required all employees to have weekly COVID-19 screening tests. The resumption of in-school instruction followed a mass vaccination program using the Pfizer-BioNTech 2-dose vaccine offered under a partnership between the Philadelphia Department of Public Health and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia to all 22,808 School District of Philadelphia employees during February 23, 2021 through April 3, 2021. The percentage of positive test results was lower among persons who reported receipt of two vaccine doses compared with those who reported receipt of one dose or zero doses In fact, there was a 95% lower percentage of positive test results among persons who reported receiving two doses of a COVID-19 mRNA vaccine than among those who were not fully vaccinated.

To view the full report on the CDC website, click here.

The U.S. Department of Education (USDE) is advising schools that they can use American Rescue Plan (ARP) education funds to improve indoor air quality for in-person instruction, including through:

• Inspection, testing, and maintenance of current ventilation systems and approaches
• Purchasing portable air filtration units, such as HEPA air filters
• Purchasing MERV-13 (or higher) filters for your HVAC system and ACs
• Purchasing fans
• Repairing windows and/or doors so that they can open to let fresh air in
• Servicing or upgrading HVAC systems consistent with industry standards
• Purchasing equipment to run outdoor classes
• Purchasing carbon dioxide (CO2) monitors, air flow capture hoods, and anemometers for custodians and building personnel to assess ventilation
• Paying for increased heating/cooling costs due to increased use of heating/cooling systems
• Other spending that supports inspection, testing, maintenance, repair, replacement, and upgrade projects to improve the indoor air quality in school facilities, including mechanical and non-mechanical heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems, filtering, purification and other air cleaning, fans, control systems, and window and door repair.

USDE is also providing the following additional resources:

• CDC information on improving ventilation in schools at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/ventilation.html, in buildings at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/ventilation.html, and in homes at  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/Improving-Ventilation-Home.html.
• EPA resources on indoor air quality tools for schools at https://www.epa.gov/iaq-schools.
• Resources related to Lessons from the Field webinar featuring CDC, EPA, and U.S. Department of Education, along with district leaders at https://safesupportivelearning.ed.gov/events/webinar/lessons-field-indoor-air-quality-and-ventilation-america%E2%80%99s-k-12-schools-guidance-and.
• CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly report on the efficacy of HEPA filters and masking to reduce exposure to the virus that causes COVID-19 at https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7027e1.htm?s_cid=mm7027e1_w.
• ASHRAE guidance for reopening schools at https://www.ashrae.org/technical-resources/reopening-of-schools-and-universities.
• National Energy Management Institute and U.C. Davis Energy and Efficiency Institute White Paper on Proposed Ventilation and Energy Efficiency Verification/Repair Program for School Reopening at https://ucdavis.app.box.com/v/ProposedVentilationProgram.

For more information from USDE, click here.

On July 23, 2021, the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) released a resource that outlines how American Rescue Plan funds can be used to improve indoor air quality in schools. Strategies for Improving Ventilation include the following resources

based on current recommendations by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to help improve ventilation, such as:

• Bringing in as much outdoor air as possible by opening windows wherever it is safe to do so, including in classrooms and on school buses and other transportation. Where safe, opening doors can also improve airflow. Using child-safe fans in accordance with CDC guidance increases the impact of open windows and doors.
• Holding classes, activities, and meals outdoors when safe and feasible.
• Using heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) settings to maximize ventilation.
• Servicing or upgrading HVAC systems consistent with current industry standards.
• Setting systems to bring in as much outdoor air as the system can safely support, including for two hours before and after occupancy.
• Reducing or eliminating air re-circulation in consultation with an HVAC expert. In consultation with HVAC experts and health officials, considering changing HVAC system filters more often than recommended by normal maintenance requirements.
• Ensuring exhaust fans in restrooms and kitchens are working properly and use them during occupancy and for two hours afterward to remove particles from the air and keeping all fans and filters clean to maximize airflow.
• Filtering and/or cleaning the air.
• Upgrading HVAC filters to minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV)-13, or the highest MERV rating a building’s ventilation system can accommodate to improve air filtration as much as possible without significantly reducing airflow.
• Ensuring HVAC filters are sized, installed, and replaced at least as frequently as according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
• Considering using portable air cleaners that use filtration technology, such as high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters. A July 2021 CDC report shows that HEPA filters can reduce exposure to the virus that causes COVID-19, particularly in combination with universal and correct mask wearing. Select air cleaners of appropriate capacity for the space in which they will operate. Portable air cleaners can go in any room of a school building to serve as an additional safety and mitigation layer, including in areas where airflow may be limited, and/or in areas where sick individuals may be present such as a nurse’s office or sick/isolation
• Considering the use of portable carbon dioxide (CO2) monitors to verify how well air is circulating in classrooms and other spaces.
• Assessing any claims about air disinfection devices to determine whether they have been tested in similar conditions to those where they would be used.
• Communicating clearly to school communities, parents, students, faculty, and staff, in a language they can understand and in accessible formats, including on district webpages, how the school is are assessing and improving ventilation. In all cases, school leaders can share the ways rooms have been prepared to maximize air flow for in-person learning

In addition, the USDE provides information on how ESSER and GEER funds can be used to support these efforts, and school leaders are advised to see questions B-6 and B-7 of Frequently Asked Questions related to the program. For more information on using HEER funds, see question 24 of the ARP HEERF III FAQs.  In addition, for ESSER and GEER, the USDE has provided supplementary information to states and school districts to help them efficiently implement ventilation projects while following applicable requirements. If a school district uses funds for HVAC systems, the USDE’s applicable regulations require the use of current American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) standards.

For more information or to read the USDE press release, click here.

On July, 20, 2021, the U.S. Department of Education’s (USDE) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) released a Q&A document highlighting procedures schools should take when responding to reports of sexual harassment, which follows policy based on 2020 amendments to the Title IX regulation. 

USDE also made public nearly 1,000 pages of testimony taken during a five-day June 2021 public hearing regarding the amendments, where several participants spoke about the rights of transgender students competing in same-sex sports. The Q&A does not specifically address the rights of students who identify as transgender, but it does explain schools’ obligations in responding to complaints of sex discrimination. 

The resources were made public while the USDE is conducting a comprehensive review of Title IX changes. That review will likely lead to proposed new rules. Until then, the 2020 amendments remain in effect.

Dive Insight:

In a statement, USDE said the Q&A aims to assist schools, students and others by highlighting areas in which schools may have discretion in their procedures for responding to reports of sexual harassment. The Q&A also includes examples of policy language — taken from a variety of schools across the country — for procedures in addressing reports and complaints of sexual harassment, including sexual violence, for both K-12 and postsecondary schools.

To access the Q&A document, click here.

Source: K12 Dive. Click here for the full article.

On July 21, 2021, US Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, White House Office of Public Engagement Associate Director Emily Voorde, and Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services Deputy Assistant Secretary Katy Neas met with public educators from the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers. All assembled educators self-identified as Disabled. Secretary Cardona emphasized that educators with disabilities serve as critical advocates and role models for their students, particularly those with disabilities. The Secretary also reaffirmed the Biden Administration’s commitment to support educators with disabilities and students with disabilities. This roundtable comes just five days before the 31st anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act and is part of the Administration’s engagement with Disabled Americans during July’s Disability Pride Month.

Click here to access the press release.