CALL TO ACTION:
Please read this long, but important post! I sent the email below yesterday ahead of the BOE meeting scheduled for Tuesday advocating for a third-party, independent #IAQ expert to consult with MCPS to build upon their IAQ mitigation strategy to help minimize #COVID-19 transmission and #reopensafer. Please consider emailing the BOE and Superintendent Smith in support of this recommendation today (emails are below) and feel free to share!
Brenda_Wolff@mcpsmd.org, Karla_Silvestre@mcpsmd.org, Judy_Docca@mcpsmd.org, Shebra_L_Evans@mcpsmd.org, "Harris, Lynne" <Lynne_Harris@mcpsmd.org>, Patricia_O'Neill@mcpsmd.org, Rebecca_K_Smondrowski@mcpsmd.org, Nick_Asante@mcpsmd.org, Jack_Smith@mcpsmd.org, boe@mcpsmd.org
Dear Superintendent Smith and Members of the Board,
While I am the Health and Wellness Committee Chair and am in process of introducing these recommendations from the committee to the MCCPTA board, I am writing this letter in my own capacity as an MCPS parent and public health professional. Several committee members and parents with expertise in indoor air quality (IAQ) have signed on to this letter in the interim while it goes through Committee and MCCPTA approval. These recommendation are also in alignment with MCCPTA’s 2020-21 Advocacy Priorities under the heading of COVID-19 - Prepare for a safe return to school buildings in the COVID-19 environment, guided by evidence-based, specific, and transparent criteria, including additional space, equipment and supplies that may be needed. Audit existing HVAC systems and update to increase ventilation and filtration in order to reduce exposure to COVID19. We are writing in response to MCPS’ ongoing efforts to prepare schools for safer reopening during the COVID-19 pandemic.
We would like to thank MCPS for all their ongoing work on IAQ to prepare schools for a safer reopening. While teachers will have access to vaccinations in the coming months, it will be a while before a vaccine is approved for children making these proposed measures more critical as schools reopen during the pandemic. These are challenging times and as the science evolves, we are all continuing to learn more about improving IAQ in school environments.
As MCPS parents with expertise in the field of environmental health, we propose the following support for the Department of Facilities Management’s (DFM) ongoing work to improve school IAQ and to reduce the risk of potential outbreaks and school closures. Our proposal is based on current, evidence-based science to support MCPS’ efforts moving forward as they prepare schools for a safer, successful reopening.
We propose consultation with a third-party, independent indoor air quality expert to advise and support the ongoing work of MCPS’ DFM.
An IAQ expert with a PhD in mechanical or environmental engineering and extensive training in infectious disease control in public spaces would provide DFM with additional support in their ongoing IAQ mitigation efforts and would help build trust between MCPS and the school community. This expert would work alongside the DFM to determine school building readiness for a safer reopening and through the duration of the pandemic in two phases. The following recommendations are based on MCPS’s own criteria as they state, “The American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) continue to be our primary resources for information and guidance during the COVID-19 pandemic.”[1] See attachment for our suggestions for details of Phase I and II of consultancy work:
● Phase I: Reassess HVAC scenarios after completion of DFM
mitigation measures and rate them using a second diamond
(or other approved) system
○ Consult with DFM to determine if additional, practical
measures can be taken to bring schools up to current,
science-based standards for ventilation and filtration
based on ASHRAE, CDC, and EPA guidance as stipulated
by MCPS. [2]
● Phase II: Exposure assessment to verify effective ventilation
goals are met in-operation.
Employing these above measures will ensure that airborne transmission of COVID-19 is reduced as school buildings reopen.[3] [4] COVID-19 is transmitted primarily from person to person through airborne droplets and aerosols.[5] Collaborating with an expert to establish and implement science-based measures integrating IAQ control strategies to reduce the risk of SARS CoV-2 infection in schools also has the added long-term benefits of improving MCPS students, staff, and teachers' physical environments, which promotes learning and overall health.[6] Studies have shown that students’ test scores increase with improved IAQ.[7] These measures also help reduce the spread of other infectious diseases and minimizing absences.[8] Thus, this immediate investment will have long-term benefits. MCPS has the opportunity to build a more robust reopening strategy to improve IAQ if these proposed measures to consult with an outside IAQ expert are implemented. This action also demonstrates MCPS good will and a commitment to building trust in a safer, successful reopening.
In summary, in acquiring the assistance of an independent, third-party IAQ expert to consult with to improve IAQ quality controls in schools, MCPS will be doing its due diligence in prioritizing the safety, health, and welfare of students, staff, and teachers in school during and after the pandemic. This action would demonstrate that MCPS is willing to go the extra step to reopen safer and better protect our school community and the public’s health. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
/s/
Hannah Donart, MPH
XXX, PhD
XXX, MS
cc: Cynthia Simonson, President, MCCPTA
MCCPTA Board of Directors MCCPTA Delegates
cc: Seth Adams, Director
Department of Facilities Management
Montgomery County Public Schools
cc: Christopher Lloyd, President
Montgomery County Education Association
cc: Pia Morrison, President
Service Employees International Union Local 500
[3] Morawska, L. , Tang, J.W., Bahnfleth, W., et al. (2020). How can airborne transmission of COVID-19 indoors be minimised? Environment International. 142(105832). Doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2020.105832.
[4] Miller, S.L., Nazaroff, W.W., Jimenez, J.L., Boerstra, A., Buonanno, G., Dancer, S.J., Kurnitski, J., Marr, L.C., Morawska, L., Noakes, C. (2020). Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 by inhalation of respiratory aerosol in the Skagit Valley Chorale superspreading event. Indoor Air. doi:10.1111/ina.12751.
[6] Zhang, J. (2020). Integrating IAQ control strategies to reduce the risk of asymptomatic SARS CoV-2 infections in classrooms and open plan offices, Science and Technology for the Built Environment. Sci Technol Built Environ. 26:(8),1013-1018, DOI: 10.1080/23744731.2020.1794499.
[7] EPA. Evidence from Scientific Literature about Improved Academic Performance. https://www.epa.gov/.../evidence-scientific-literature...
[8] Ibid.
See attachments for details:
Phase I and Phase II IAQ Consulting: https://docs.google.com/.../1JedyoUyAO0e47AKUgql2.../edit...
MCPS school list 2021 - IAQ suggested additions:
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