If there’s one word that has quickly become synonymous with the reopening of schools, it’s certainly ventilation.
At Tuesday’s Cherry Hill Board of Education meeting, district officials discussed where township school buildings currently stand and the potential for future upgrades.
As it stands, Cherry Hill schools are operating on a full remote model until Nov. 9. During her Business and Facilities committee report, board member Ruth Schultz explained that the district has been engaged in conversations with its architect of record, Garrison Architects. In speaking with the firm, the district has learned that several larger local districts that had HVAC work in progress with Garrison have halted that work as they assess if it’s in their best interest to do additional building upgrades.
Schultz also noted that HVAC manufacturing companies such as Trane Technologies Inc. and Honeywell International are currently in the marketing and testing phase of new products in light of COVID-19. She said the committee considered that it may be in the district’s best interests to forego HVAC upgrades until those companies have completed their testing.
Assistant Superintendent and Board Secretary Lynn Shugars said while there is a lot of talk about installing highly rated MERV (Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value) filters, it’s not as easy or simple as it sounds. A MERV number indicates a filter’s ability to capture large particles. She explained that highly rated MERV filters aren’t compatible with current equipment, and if installed, they would restrict air flow and cause an HVAC system to freeze up.
Superintendent Joseph Melcohe said he’s received a lot of questions and comments from the public about ventilation, including a suggestion to put in exhaust fans, window fans, fans by a door and any other number of ventilation options.
Meloche gave a breakdown of where the district currently stands. Its buildings currently have a total of 647 general instruction classrooms and 665 exhaust fans, most of which are roof-based units. The district also has more than 1,000 air supply fans, most of which are located in drop ceilings.
All of the district’s written indoor air quality programs are based on and in compliance with the state standards, according to the superintendent. A full breakdown of the program is on the district website.
While several community members have offered to install or upgrade some of the district’s ventilation, as a public school district, Cherry Hill Public Schools are bound by procurement guidelines and liability issues that prohibit them from accepting those offers.
Shugars said there has been regular contact with the district’s environmental consulting firm, which has stressed the importance of “air exchange” and opening windows whenever possible. She also was in contact with Garrison Architects last week, and the firm determined that the district would be wise to forego any immediate system upgrades.
“We’re in a good position to take a step back and see where things land and see what these manufacturing companies come up with,” Shugars said.
She said the hope is that any updates could then be incorporated into the work slated for the district’s upcoming bond referendum.
