Hundreds of schools need AC repairs

Open a window, experts say.

The simple act will bring in fresh air and cut down the chances of COVID-19 spreading in a classroom.

But in Arizona in August, opening a window is akin to opening an oven door.

The only realistic option to circulate and clean air is with an air conditioning system.

A well-functioning ventilation system with upgraded filters is among experts’ recommendations.

“Poor air-conditioning is going to make COVID transmission easier,” Dr. Ed Nardell, a Harvard professor who studies airborne transmission of infectious diseases.

But Arizona districts say they don’t have access to unlimited funds to upgrade HVAC systems, many of which

are aging or need repairs, while also trying to cover added costs for disinfectants and technology for distance learning.

The state for decades has underfunded school building needs, which has left some schools with antiquated systems to filter or circulate air.

“A lot of districts don’t really have the ability, without state help, to even figure all that out,” Danny Adelman, an attorney with The Center for Law in the Public Interest, said.

A state audit cited the School Facilities Board, which oversees school district building repairs, in 2019 for prolonging hundreds of repairs at districts across Arizona, potentially posing health and safety risks to students.

HVAC issues are the most frequent ongoing school Facilities Board repair, according to data analyzed by The Arizona Republic.

The agency is processing more than 500 HVAC repairs in nearly 300 schools.

Spokeswoman Megan Rose said many of those HVAC projects are either completed or near completion. She did not specify how many.

Experts are still learning about how COVID-19 spreads.

But they recommend that schools using HVAC systems increase ventilation so “new” air can dilute the virus. Recirculating old air through a building does not help mitigate the virus.

Neil Donahue, a professor with the college of engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, said the amount of new air filtered into a room, and the rate at which it flows into a room, is key. If someone is infectious in a room and air is being exchanged at a slower rate, experts say, the chances of contracting the disease are higher.

“If someone’s wildly firing off a gun and they shoot off 20 rounds...you’re going to have a significantly greater chance of getting hit than if someone fires one,” he said. “That’s why we care about ventilation.”

Harvard’s guidance also recommends schools upgrade filters to the highest MERV filter rating possible — 13 or higher, which can filter our smallersized particles.

The Arizona Republic asked several districts what rated filter they used. A handful responded:

● Deer Valley Unified spokesperson Monica Allread wrote that schools use filters that are MERV-10 equivalent. Any higher-rated filter wouldn’t be compatible with the district’s system, she wrote. In addition, she said the district HVAC system pulls in air from outside to help filter out “old” air.

● Scottsdale Unified is in the process of upgrading to MERV-11 filters from MERV-8 filters, spokeswoman Nancy Norman wrote in an email.

● Paradise Valley Unified uses MERV-10 filters, spokeswoman Becky Kelbaugh wrote.

● Kyrene will buy about 1,300 air purifying units with HEPA filters for every classroom, according to district documents.

HVAC repairs at schools vary, according to the School Facility Board data. Some schools need to replace HVAC units completely, while many require repairs or replacements of specific components, like compressors and motors.

Rose wrote that HVAC repairs are the number one project for the School Facility Board in the summer “as schools try to get repairs done before the start of school.”

She said the agency is encouraging schools to follow CDC guidelines around ventilation, which encourage buildings to reduce air recirculation as much as possible.

School Facilities Board repairs typically need to be approved through the agency’s board. The process can sometimes take months, but Rose said there is a route to seek expedited approval.

The agency is the subject of an ongoing lawsuit by school districts, which alleges that the state’s schools have been chronically underfunded for necessary building repairs, putting buildings and school finances in peril.

Kevin Hegarty, the Chief Financial Officer of the Laveen School District, said the process for his schools to address some HVAC issues through the School Facilities Board has been lengthy. Fortunately, he said, the work has been done on time for school reopening.

He suggested state funds for school repairs should go directly to schools instead of through the School Facilities Board. This has been a years-long debate between state lawmakers and school leaders.

Nardell suggested a little-known tool could prove extremely helpful for schools: ultraviolet germicidal irradiation, a light used to disinfect pathogens in the air.

According to Nardell, the light fixtures are inexpensive compared to other disinfecting measures. Fixtures online run several hundred dollars.