With in-person school back in session, FCPS installed air purifiers into the classrooms to make sure that it’s students felt safe returning back to school.
Two stimulus bills were passed in 2020 that provided over 67 billion dollars to the ESSER Fund. FCPS received a portion of this funding and used some of it to provide air purifiers.
Air purifiers were not initially a part of the plan, and were suggested by the Operations Division nearing the start of hybrid.
The heating and ventilation systems in FCPS schools have already been modified to do what is needed per MSDE and CDC recommendations. The air purifiers work alongside these systems only adding to the air purification.
According to the director of FCPS operations, Bob Wilkison, “Many of the changes that we implemented, while effective, were not visibly evident to building occupants.”
Air purifiers were implemented as a way to visibly show that FCPS has taken proper precautions during hybrid learning, and it helps to reassure students and faculty members.
With ventilation systems already doing what air purifiers do, FCPS finds it unnecessary to continue using air purifiers once the pandemic has passed. However they plan to dispose of them in a benevolent manner.
