Schools can spend their federal funds to pay for ventilation upgrades

Schools can use their American Rescue Plan funds to improve air quality in classrooms, the U.S. Department of Education announced Tuesday.

Schools can use their federal funds to upgrade ventilation systems, purchase filters and fans, make repairs, conduct inspections and tests, and take other steps to improve air quality as students return to in-person classes. According to the Centers for Disease Control, indoor air ventilation can curb the spread of the coronavirus.

The U.S. Department of Education, in conjunction with the Environmental Protection Agency and the Centers for Disease Control, also released guidelines for improving air quality in schools.

“Protecting our schools and communities from the spread of Covid-19 is the first step in bringing more students back to in-person learning and reemerging from this crisis even stronger than we were before,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. “With the American Rescue Plan, schools and districts now have access to unprecedented resources that will enable them to ensure proper ventilation and maintain healthy learning and working environments.”