Design & Construction

Enrollment is growing at our elementary schools. In order to accommodate more students, additions are planned at Donges Bay, Oriole Lane, and Wilson Elementary Schools to add classroom, gymnasium, and cafeteria space. Other projects include updating restrooms to increase accessibility and general functionality, safety enhancements including improving car and bus traffic flow, and improvements to better control visitor access to the buildings during and after school hours.

Improvements at Lake Shore and Steffen Middle Schools include expansions to the cafeterias and renovations to specialty classrooms including music and specialist/support areas to enhance the educational experience of our students. Improved traffic circulation and connection to municipal water will make our school buildings and grounds safer for our students, staff, and visitors while protecting the community’s investment.

Improvements at Homestead High School include relocation of the school office and renovation of the secure entry sequence. Other projects include updating restrooms to increase accessibility and general functionality. Improved traffic circulation will make our school building and grounds safer for our students, staff, and visitors.

UV disinfection systems are designed to destroy biological and chemical contaminants such as mold, bacteria, viruses, chemicals, VOCs, and odors that may be circulated through the buildings.

We are starting with the elementary and middle schools, with the high school to follow. We are adding systems to most classrooms in the district, as well as the cafeterias. Classrooms that are supplied by larger HVAC units will have UV systems installed in the HVAC systems rather than the classroom.

UV sterilization, also known as UV disinfection or Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation (UVGI), works by breaking down individual chemical bonds and the structure of DNA, RNA, and proteins, causing a microorganism to be unable to grow. When an organism is unable to grow, it is considered dead since it is unable to reproduce within a host and is no longer infectious.

Benefits of UV disinfection include:

• No VOC’s, chemicals or ozone to disinfect
• Helps reduce odors, mold, viruses, and bacteria
• Helps improve respiratory health
• Continuous protection against airborne pathogens
• Helps reduce symptoms of illnesses and allergies
• Reduced energy costs by keeping HVAC equipment cleaner
• Safe, eco-friendly
• Cost-effective
• Easy to install, operate, and maintain

UV systems for the cafeterias are on order with expected delivery in November. Classroom units are on-site and in the process of being installed.

Both the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and ASHRAE now include UV disinfection as a recommended mitigation step to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus. UV disinfection destroys biological and chemical contaminants rather than trapping them in filters. This added step, along with proper HVAC ventilation and filtration, helps ensure we are offering the most aggressive approach to ensuring great indoor air quality.

By code, we need to maintain at least 10% fresh air coming into our classrooms at all times. This means at least 10% of the air supplied to each classroom is fresh air. The HVAC system continually monitors outside air temperature and will adjust the fresh air accordingly. At times, we could have 100% fresh air going to the classrooms. Next, the fresh air is mixed with return air from the classroom, when available, and passed through commercial-grade air filtration media to clean the air being delivered back to the classroom. The next step will take the filtered air through a heating coil to be warmed as necessary. Finally, the air is distributed back to the classroom and the process starts over. It's important to note that the classroom air is completed exchanged 7 - 12 times each hour.

The easiest way to think about this is that UV sterilization systems are designed to destroy biological and chemical contaminants. Since VOCs (volatile organic compounds) are organic, it breaks down individual chemical bonds and the structure of DNA, RNA, and proteins causing a microorganism to be unable to grow. When an organism is unable to grow, it is considered dead.