4,600 HEPA Filter Units Will be Installed In All HCPSS Classrooms To Help Fight COVID-19

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — All classrooms in every school building within the Howard County Public School System will have a HEPA filter unit installed. During a September education board meeting, Superintendent Michael J. Martirano stated he would make an emergency purchase of 4,600 HEPA filter units.

The units are expected to be delivered to all classrooms by the end of September. Installation will begin as soon as they're received, starting with elementary school classrooms and congregant spaces.

“Our commitment to a safe reopening has been driven by a singular goal – to return to normalized instruction and do everything possible to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 so that our students can continue receiving in-person instruction and supports,” Martirano said.

The superintendent had met previously with industry experts in ventilation and air quality who affirmed that the measures the district has already taken demonstrate "a strong commitment to air quality and proper ventilation."

"These experts recommended the use of HEPA filters in all of our classrooms to provide an additional layer of protection and we will be moving forward with this recommendation," he said.

HVAC systems serving school system buildings provide between 5 and 8 equivalent outdoor air changes per hour for a typical 800-square-foot classroom with a 10-foot ceiling height. With the addition of one 400-cubic-feet per minute HEPA fan/filtration unit, the equivalent outdoor air changes per hour for a typical classroom will increase to between 8 and 11 equivalent outdoor air changes per hour.