Disappointment comes with the new EANS FAQ that clarifies if windows or HVACs are allowable uses. The U.S. Department of Education’s (USED) updated FAQ states that new windows or HVAC systems are not allowed. This comes as a shock because several schools were planning to use the money to redo their HVAC systems or windows and had been told by contractors that they could do so.
Nationwide, there’s a sense that the main motivation hasn’t always been COVID-related but is instead a way to pay for a long-needed upgrade at the school that no one likes spending money on. Congress did not make such renovations a goal of EANS.
While a whole new HVAC system is off the table, schools can still keep their students safe with portable air purification systems. This is in line with the latest guidance from the Center for Disease Control (CDC). These systems can be purchased with EANS funds.
Many schools around the country were in session, in-person all year and the number of mass outbreaks has been almost nonexistent, let alone outbreaks attributed to the virus circulating through an HVAC system.
Outbreaks across the country have occurred in areas with high traffic in common areas, like prisons, nursing homes and bars. It is best practice to use more purification systems in large areas to ensure the air is actively cleaned. Schools should consider using fans in large areas to create more airflow. Fans for airflow are an allowable use of EANS funding.
The USDE guidance mentions that, while windows are not allowed, repairs to existing windows may be allowed. It is still unclear how this would work in a real-world situation and there are still a lot of questions about what is allowable.
