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.