Improve Indoor Air Quality in Schools with Available ESSER Funds
Many schools nationwide are not well-ventilated, leading to Sick Building Syndrome, and overall poor student and staff health and performance. Improving indoor air quality (IAQ) in schools has long been a goal, and especially since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Improving IAQ has been found for decades to dramatically improve learning environments, including reducing absenteeism rates, enhancing focus and test scores, and boosting staff productivity. However, despite the benefits of improving ventilation in school buildings to achieve better IAQ, many schools lack the resources to upgrade the existing HVAC system required.
What is the ESSER Fund?
The Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund, originated out of the COVID-19 pandemic to provide funding for schools to upgrade their buildings to achieve better IAQ, including ventilation projects. Schools currently have access to billions of dollars in funding through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSA), and the America Rescue Plan Act (ARP) Act.
The ESSER Fund is an outcome of federal government legislation, but schools receive ESSER funds from their state, receiving them in the form of grants to Local Education (LEA) Agencies. Any K-12 public school district and other charter schools that qualify as an LEA can be awarded a grant by sending in a grant application through their state’s Department of Education website.
What are Possible Ventilation Upgrades?
The ESSER Fund covers many different types of ventilation upgrades and improvements, including inspections, testing of existing HVAC systems, investing in commercial-grade HEPA air purifiers, and servicing and upgrading current HVAC systems. Despite the options available, upgrading an HVAC system can still be too expensive, leaving the investment in portable commercial air purification as one of the more accessible steps that a school district can take towards improving air quality.
Using ESSER Funding to Invest in HEPA Air Purifiers
Commercial air purifiers are a great step that school districts can take to improve ventilation and IAQ, and has been touted by the CDC and ASHRAE as one of the steps schools can take to mitigate the transmission of COVID-19. Unlike residential air purifiers that are high-maintenance and ineffective for the space and demand of a school, air purifiers like ISO-Aire have been specifically designed for commercial applications like schools and businesses.
ISO-Aire is one of the most effective brands of commercial air purification systems on the market. The medical-grade HEPA air purifiers come equipped with up to three levels of clean air technology, including a 12-inch thick HEPA filter and optional ozone-free bipolar ionization and germicidal UVC. ISO-Aire HEPA air purifiers offer a quiet, low-maintenance, energy-efficient, and durable option designed to last over 25 years. Other features of ISO-Aire include:
Reduction of airborne contaminants including pathogens like bacteria and viruses, mold, allergens, pet dander, dust, smoke and VOCs at 99.99% efficiency
No requirement of any upgrades or retrofitting to the existing HVAC system
Offers a range of models suitable for every room size, covering classrooms, auditoriums, gymnasiums, cafeterias, and everything else in between.
Easy to use and set up. Just plug and go.
Models are in stock and ready to ship
For Kevin Albers, VP of Product Management, offering an effective air purification solution is a top priority. “We are proud to provide an efficient and incredibly low-maintenance option for schools. Unlike many other models available on the market, ISO-Aire is quiet, so as not to disrupt the learning environment.”
Using ESSER funds, many schools nationwide have invested in ISO-Aire purifiers, including Houston Independent School District, the 8th largest district in the U.S. and located in Houston, Texas. Over 1,500 ISO-Aire units were deployed district-wide. By using some of their ESSER funds to invest in ISO-Aire, the school district avoided the high costs of upgrading or retrofitting the existing HVAC system, while still achieving much improved IAQ for students and staff.
