Middle School Air Quality
Since June we have been busy improving the air quality at the middle school. We have faced some challenges, and we have corrected several issues as time has moved forward.
Before we start into the improvements, it is important to know the history of the AC unit at Knox Middle School. Last year in August, we identified that we had an AC issue. Only one of two circuits was functioning and that chiller was not 100% healthy. In October, we ordered a brand new unit knowing that the lead time was 9 months. The plan was for the new chillers to arrive in May and to be installed in June. Production pushed the delivery time back further and further. The plan now is to have our new chillers installed on September 11.
What are the improvements we have accomplished since July?
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Four new hallway dehumidifiers were purchased to reduce the humidity in the school.
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All classrooms now have a dehumidifier installed in them to reduce the humidity in the school.
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Two air scrubbers were purchased to purify the air in the building.
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Our current AC unit was serviced. We deep cleaned the coils to improve efficiency.
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We have begun to replace any ceiling tiles that were stained.
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Mr. Howard, maintenance director, worked endless hours to regulate the air quality in the building, bringing in fresh air as much as possible.
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We had parts of the building professionally cleaned.
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We instructed our teachers to remove all air fresheners.
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We provided additional professional training for Mr. Howard, who has already enrolled in an air quality certification class this fall.
Before school started in August, we found a dripping pipe in a classroom closet that caused damage. We immediately cleaned, sanitized, and threw away any infected material. We added air purifiers to the room and monitored it closely, along with the remainder of the building. Our first air quality test cleared us to return to school with no concerns.
Our second air quality test continued to find no visible mold at Knox Middle School. One classroom found slightly elevated mold counts compared to the outside count; however, all other rooms were below the outside count. The Industrial Hygienist assured us this was not an issue due to the low mold count.
We have made many improvements over the past two months and we will continue to monitor the building. We will also continue to have air quality tests completed to ensure a safe learning environment. As always, we will continue to update our Knox families with the air quality progress at KMS. We thank you for your continued support and understanding.
Thank you,
KCSC
Knox Middle School_8_13_24_mold.pdf