Improving Classroom Ventilation in Andover, MA

Project Partner: Energize Andover, Summer 2020

Project Summary: Air quality and comfortable temperatures are crucial for student learning. Without proper ventilation and filtration, the risk of transmission in schools is also significantly higher. The project centered around the analysis of Andover High School’s continuous monitoring system for indoor carbon dioxide (CO2) and temperature to identify classrooms with ventilation issues for further evaluation. In collaboration with a high school intern at Energize Andover, Kate compiled monitoring data and identified 7 rooms with sensor issues and 26 classrooms with high CO2 concentrations for more than half the school day. Kate also provided up-to-date scientific evidence about the airborne transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus during the COVID-19 pandemic. In presenting the importance of ventilation and filtration in schools to reduce the risk of transmission, school- and town-affiliated stakeholders pushed for a subsequent evaluation of the school’s ventilation system as recommended by various government agencies. Actions to improve air quality and ventilation indoors, informed by Kate’s analysis, could reduce COVID-19 risk and improve child health and learning. 

Project Deliverables: 

Andover Green Advisory Board Meeting over Zoom during the COVID-19 Pandemic

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