The Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council released a new report detailing how school districts around the country have managed air quality within their buildings during the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The report, Managing Air Quality in the Pandemic: How K-12 Schools Addressed Air Quality in the Second Year of COVID-19, says that the chief obstacle for schools in implementing many recommended indoor air quality (IAQ) measures is that buildings’ HVAC systems were not designed to implement recommendations for improvement. Specific challenges were not found to be associated with any particular school district characteristics studied, such as demographics, locale or size, the study says.
During the past year, schools prioritized increasing outdoor air intake by whatever means were available to them. Just over half of school districts reported that they felt they had access to funding to support additional indoor air quality-related building improvements.
Non-urban districts were more likely to lean on state and local guidance, while urban districts were more likely to use federal-level guidance and guidance from national organizations like ASHRAE. Over a quarter of districts responded that there were no new plans to implement additional ventilation, filtration, or other building changes in schools.
Related Stories
| Mar 25, 2020
Designing public health laboratories to safeguard researchers during pandemics
As laboratory designers, we want to shed light on a subset of our population critical to protecting us from, and preventing the spread of, severe outbreaks: public health researchers.
Market Data | Mar 23, 2020
Coronavirus will reshape UAE construction
The impact of the virus has been felt in the UAE, where precautionary measures have been implemented to combat the spread of the virus through social distancing.
Coronavirus | Mar 21, 2020
Perkins and Will’s CEO sees a light at the end of COVID-19 tunnel
Phil Harrison says the virus outbreak could make more clients see the connection between design and wellbeing.
Coronavirus | Mar 21, 2020
Construction business and union leaders call on government officials to include construction as an 'essential service' during shutdowns
The chief executive officer of the Associated General Contractors of America, Stephen E. Sandherr, and the President of North America’s Building Trades Unions, Sean McGarvey, issued the following joint statement urging Government Officials to Exempt Construction Work from Regional, State and Local Work Shutdowns.
Coronavirus | Mar 21, 2020
Associated General Contractors launches eight-part webinar series around COVID-19
The programming, which begins Monday, will offer advice on how businesses might need to adjust during the virus.
Coronavirus | Mar 20, 2020
BD+C research: The AEC industry braces for tough sledding in the coming months amid COVID-19 outbreak
A new BD+C poll of U.S. architecture, engineering, and construction firms finds that companies are anticipating project postponements and delays.
Coronavirus | Mar 20, 2020
Pandemic has halted or delayed projects for 28% of contractors
Coronavirus-caused slowdown contrasts with January figures showing a majority of metro areas added construction jobs; Officials note New infrastructure funding and paid family leave fixes are needed.
Coronavirus | Mar 20, 2020
AIA implores Congress to provide relief to business owners and employees
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) 2020 President Jane Frederick, FAIA, and EVP/Chief Executive Officer Robert Ivy, FAIA, are urging Congress to address the critical needs of business owners and employees during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Coronavirus | Mar 20, 2020
Extending care capacity as COVID-19 grows
Coronavirus threatens to overwhelm the U.S. healthcare system. LEO A DALY’s health practice leader offers some innovative ideas for expanding access.
Coronavirus | Mar 19, 2020
Positive vibes: Let's take a look at the brighter side of these crazy times
Perhaps now is a good time to take a page from Monty Python's book and look on the bright side of life. So let's push aside the doom and gloom for a bit and bring a little positivity to these strange times we all currently find ourselves in.