Improving Your School’s IAQ With ESSER Funds
What are ESSER Funds?
The U.S. Congress has provided financial support for districts and schools through the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund to address the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Texas school districts received $1.3 billion in ESSER funding, an additional $5.5 billion in ESSER II funding, and $12.4 billion in American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds – also referred to as ESSER III.
How Hunton Can Help
At Hunton, we can help school leaders utilize these funds to make facility improvements, safeguard the learning environment, and keep schools open and safe. Your ESSER plan should contain three basic steps as it pertains to improving your facilities. First, develop a detailed assessment of your facility’s current state. Second, execute applicable mitigation strategies and technologies to improve your facilities as determined by the assessment. Finally, your plan should include managing and sustaining the improvements over the lifetime of the building. Not only can Hunton help build your plan and application for funding allocation, we have the technical expertise and resources to fulfill each aspect of that plan.
Assess
Our assessment is a science-based, fact-driven analysis of your school’s indoor environmental quality (IEQ). Effective IEQ solutions are not one-size-fits-all. Hunton can visit and survey your school to provide recommendations specific to your unique system and usage. All recommendations for improvement must begin with a scientific, baseline assessment of current-state indoor environmental quality.
Mitigate
Mechanical Filtration: a non-additive strategy to improve mechanical filtration to MERV 13 or better; and/or deploy the use of portable HEPA filter units to trap particles and airborne pathogens to more effectively treat potentially higher exposure zones.
Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation (UV): uses short wavelength ultraviolet light to inactivate static microorganisms so they cannot reproduce.
Synexis Dry Hydrogen Peroxide (DHP): an additive technology that reduces microbial threats by oxidizing their cell membranes and disrupting the chemical structures. It is produced from the humidity and oxygen already in the air and well within acceptable safety thresholds for continuous use in occupied spaces.
GenesisAir Catalytic Air Cleaning System: non-additive photocatalytic oxidation (PCO). This system uses three technologies working together; MERV 13 filters capture larger particles, PCO eliminates bioaerosols, and UV light energizes the PCO catalyst and destroys static microorganisms.
Bipolar Ionization (BPI): additive technology creates charged ions. Oppositely charged particles stick together to form larger particles that are easier to capture in filters.
Integrated Viral Protection (IVP): uses tried and true HEPA filter technology with intermittently pulsed heat to kill trapped pathogens. It is available in both portable and retrofit applications.
Sustain
The key to sustained success is continuous monitoring and management of air quality by Hunton’s Indoor Environmental Solutions team. We offer the above solutions as well as focused, real-time monitoring and dashboards from Awair or Aircuity to help elevate the community’s confidence in your building’s IEQ and show that tax dollars were spent wisely. This ongoing service relationship continuously connects you with professionals who understand the complexities of your HVAC systems and your building’s health.
Get in Touch
For more information on how Hunton can help, call 713-266-3900 or visit www.IndoorEnvironmentalSolutions.com.
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