BURLINGTON, N.C. — On Tuesday, the Alamance-Burlington School System unveiled a slew of upgrades for several of its schools.
For example, Turrentine Middle School is getting new HVAC systems, windows, doors, and outdoor air units just to name a few. The upgrades are focused on increasing airflow.
The school district has also been dealing with mold infestations. Last school year, the district reported mold in about 30 of its schools. However, many of them, including Turrentine Middle School, are receiving significant upgrades to help combat mold.
The goal is to improve airflow in each school and ensure students and faculty breathe the safest air possible. These particular upgrades are funded by leftover money from a federal program. The district claims these ESSER-funded improvements aren't a direct response to last school year's mold issues, but the enhancements can help prevent mold from returning to the schools. The district wants to assure parents that the schools are safe for their children, and so far, they say it's working.
"We've asked the school administration during the summer to do daily walks through their schools," said Greg Hook, the ABSS Chief Operations Officer. "You could see we had dehumidifiers running in areas in this school. We asked the administrators to make sure they're keeping their classroom doors open during the summertime so the dehumidifiers in the hallway can pull from areas of high humidity to areas of low, which is where the dehumidifier is. Then we're able to monitor our HVAC systems."
Eight schools are receiving facelifts, with contractors expected to finish their work by Aug. 19. The district will welcome students back on Aug. 26.
While the money isn't directly tied to preventing the growth and spread of mold, Hook said it will help.
"I think it can improve the situation where we have new chillers, more reliable HVAC systems, or like I mentioned, the DOAS system can, to some degree, provide some humidity control. It can cool the air that's coming in. If the air is too cold, then it can reheat it, essentially wringing out moisture from the air." Turrentine is one of eight schools included in this batch of upgrades. There are also nine other schools in contract negotiations, hoping to receive new HVAC systems soon.
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