Edmonton public board hopes to access up to $6M to buy HEPA-filters for schools
Division also in process of installing
MERV-13 filters
Edmonton's public school board wants the province to release $6 million from the division's surplus funds to pay for HEPA filters for its schools.
Trustees unanimously approved a plan Monday to request access to funds so that it can put the stand-alone filters in every classroom, music room, library, art and drama rooms in all of the division's 213 schools.
The move comes as the division has been under pressure from parents to act to upgrade air filtration systems.
"In the absence of the provincial government not showing some leadership around some guidelines, some clear guidelines, it's on us as a division," board chair Trisha Estabrooks said while discussing the plan. "And so I'm pleased to see our division take this step in this direction."
Estabrooks said she hopes Education Minister Adrianna LaGrange responds to their request for funds quickly.
Division staff have already begun installing MERV-13 filters wherever possible in all schools. The MERV-13 level of filtration is recommended by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers to siphon out the majority of tiny particles.
Trustees were told Monday that while enough have been ordered for all schools, supply issues means there may be a delay in that work being finished.
Superintendent Darrel Robertson also addressed questions about the possibility of using Corsi-Rosenthal boxes in classrooms in the meantime.
The homemade air purifiers can be constructed by anyone with furnace filters and a box fan. Robinson said the experts the division consulted didn't think it was a good solution for commercial use, and added that having DIY air filtration systems brought into schools would violate the division's collective agreement with its maintenance staff.
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