Ventilation in Schools

Students and faculty need to be provided with a environment where they can focus and excel at learning. The optimal environment would be a healthy, comfortable, and quiet space that eliminates virus spread and distraction due to uncomfortable conditions.

By helping to create optimal indoor environments, we can see a drop student and faculty absenteeism, and a rise in cognitive performance.

Taking into consideration guidance from government and prominent industry organizations, and utilizing available funding, we have the ability to change.

By monitoring and testing the current conditions, we can benchmark and improve upon the ventilation rates while ensuring we meet code standards and consider enhanced ventilation solutions for optimizing performance in the classroom. 

Together, we can demand action from school boards, and those who design and construct institutional buildings (architects, engineers, design build contractors) to make the necessary changes.

According to the CDC, ventilation is one component of maintaining healthy indoor environments. Along with other preventative actions, ventilation can help reduce the likelihood of spreading disease. 

Ventilation systems should be regularly service and meet code requirements. Equipment should "provide acceptable indoor air quality, as defined by ASHRAE 62.1, for the current occupancy level for each space."

Source

ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 62.1 and 62.2 are the recognized standards for ventilation system design and acceptable indoor air quality. 

"Standard 62.1 specifies minimum ventilation rates and other measures intended to provide indoor air quality (IAQ) that’s acceptable to human occupants and that minimizes adverse health effects. The standard provides procedures and methods for meeting minimum ventilation and IAQ requirements to engineers, design professionals, owners, and jurisdictional authorities where model codes have been adopted.

Since its original publication, Standard 62.1 has been revised and enhanced in ways that make it more than an air treatment and ventilation standard. To signify that indoor air quality goes beyond minimum ventilation requirements—and in recognition of those aspects of building systems (equipment, filtration, controls, and more) that contribute to acceptable IAQ—the title of the standard has been updated to “Ventilation and Acceptable Indoor Air Quality.”

Source