The quality of air in schools became a topic of discussion as parents and educators discussed how to navigate the COVID-19 virus in 2020 and 2021.
On the back of those concerns, the Illinois Department of Public Health announced a $29.6 million program to distribute more than 60,000 HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) purifiers to Illinois schools to help reduce the transmission of respiratory viruses, including COVID-19.
Funded by the CDC through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, the program targets school districts that serve lower-income communities and counties that have elevated air pollution counts. IDPH estimates almost 3,000 schools will be eligible for the program, covering 68 percent of school districts in the state. It will cover schools throughout the state, including Cook County, with the exception of Chicago, which has received a separate federal grant.
“There is nothing more important to me than keeping Illinoisans safe and healthy—especially when it comes to our youth,” Governor JB Pritzker said in a press release. “We know that our children need to stay healthy and study in classrooms that are well-ventilated in order to thrive and succeed. Thanks to this $30 million investment, schoolchildren will experience cleaner air—preventing illness and absenteeism, while improving our children’s ability to think and learn.”
IDPH is launching an enrollment process in coordination with ISBE through which schools can submit orders for portable HEPA air purifiers. The administrators of eligible school districts will be contacted directly with information about how many purifiers that their districts are eligible to receive. The portable air purifiers will be delivered to school districts in the coming months. Schools will generally be eligible for one small air filter unit for each 20 students in a school, with a limited number of larger units for districts with more than 1,000 students.
