PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Before pre-K-2 students return to school later this month, the School District of Philadelphia is installing window fans to improve the air quality in classrooms.
To keep with its COVID-19 safety plan, the district said airflow in schools has been assessed, and rooms without sufficient ventilation will not be used.
The district was able to get some of the original ventilation systems to operate, but the majority of them will have window fans to get fresh air.
More than 1,000 classrooms will have these units.
“They have a minimum rating of 270 cubic feet per minute — that’s enough fresh air to allow for 18 people in a room before applying the social distancing requirements,” said Chief Operating Officer Reggie McNeil.
Related
Philadelphia Health Commissioner Dr. Tom Farley supports the fan method.
“We do think this virus is spread in large part — not entirely, but in large part — through the air, and so if you increase the ventilation, you should lower the risk,” he said. “That’s why we think outside is safer than inside, so we have an inexpensive solution — let’s use it.”
The classrooms will be kept at no less than 68 degrees.
“Should our building engineers find that an appropriate temperature cannot be maintained, our building engineers will alert the principal, and district leaders will work with the principal to identify solutions,” said McNeil. “In many cases, schools have already identified alternate spaces that can safely be used for in-person instruction in their buildings if needed.”
And although the district is looking into it, it has no immediate plans to install air purifiers in classrooms.
“We have looked at air purifiers but we have not rolled out a plan to implement them in our schools,” McNeil added.
About one-third of the fans have been installed already. All are expected to be in place by Feb. 8, when teachers report to the school for training.
With the dismal coronavirus vaccine rollout nationwide, many teachers have not yet been vaccinated. Some worry they are putting their health at risk by returning to school buildings now.
“I need to see reports,” said a special education teacher, who did not want to be identified. “I can’t see how those fans are going to raise the air quality in our classrooms.
“I mean, how are you plugging all of these things in?” she asked. “The fire marshal came three years ago and told me I have to take all of my extension cords out.”
She said she’d feel more comfortable if everyone going back to the schools are immunized first — and she’s not the only one.
An online petition by a parent voiced similar concerns, saying they should not return to school until all are vaccinated and better ventilation is installed. The petition notes that the buildings are already very old and had poor ventilation before the pandemic.
More than 3,500 people have signed the petition.
The district assured it is doing all it can to keep with its COVID-19 contingency plan, including mandatory mask-wearing, Plexiglas partitions in offices, touchless water and hand sanitizer stations, enhanced cleaning protocols, maximum occupancy signs, and new classroom and bathroom setups to ensure social distancing.
The elementary schoolers will return to in-person learning on a hybrid model on Feb. 22.