Ventilation Continues to be a Big Concern in Ontario Schools

The SickKids’ report entitled, “COVID-19: Guidance for School Reopening”  was first released on June 17, 2020. Fix Our Schools noted with interest that ventilation was cited as an important element of a safe return to school, and so began to ask citizens to submit concerns about ventilation in their local schools.

🪟 🪟 🪟 The Public Health Agency of Canada calls for schools to have increased ventilation by "opening windows when possible & if weather permits, & increasing air exchanges by adjusting the HVAC system." #onted #onpoli https://t.co/Rn4oLuRrGb

— Fix Our Schools (@Fix_Our_Schools) August 10, 2020

We have heard from dozens of parents, educators and education workers across the province with a myriad of issues pertaining to ventilation, including classrooms without windows, windows that do not open at all or that only open a tiny bit, and some older schools and portables without HVAC systems to bring in fresh air from outside, and have presented details in the table below.

We urge you to contact your local MPP (we’ve provided emails below) and also Premier Ford (premier@ontario.ca) and Minister Lecce (stephen.lecce@pc.ola.org) to voice your concerns about ventilation in your local schools, and to urge this provincial government to provide the funding actually needed for publicly funded schools to open their doors safely in a few short weeks.

Comments and issues presented in the table above have been submitted to Fix Our Schools from citizens, and have not been verified by Fix Our Schools.

In an August 15, 2020, Toronto Star article by May Warren entitled, “What you need to know about ventilation as Ontario prepares for back to school in the age of COVID-19“, Jeffrey Siegel, a professor of civil engineering at the University of Toronto states that “ventilation is all about bringing outdoor air in” but that people frequently confuse ventilation with filtration, which removes particles from the air that may contain COVID-19. Siegel notes that ventilation is much more important than filtration in reducing the spread of COVID-19, and that outdoor spaces seem to be the safest place to be, relative to COVID-19. One temporary solution for Ontario’s return to school plan would be to hold outdoor classes where possible. 

Ontario schools have $16.3 BILLION in disrepair due to inadequate, unstable provincial funding. #onted #onpoli

Here's an item that need maintenance/replacement:
💨💨Ventilation Systems. https://t.co/G5apZJA3ff

— Fix Our Schools (@Fix_Our_Schools) August 12, 2020

Seigel also raises the important point that HVAC systems in Ontario’s schools have been neglected for decades and require ongoing investments in order to be there when we need them the most – as in the case of a global pandemic! Premier Ford and all future provincial governments – please take note! Ongoing regular maintenance to ensure our infrastructure is in good working order is not a “nice to have” – it is a fiscal and health imperative.

Ventilation 💨💨 After decades of poor funding for public school maintenance, ventilation more attention than it gets.
School buildings are assets owned by taxpayers, and now we're reminded how valuable those buildings are to our communities. https://t.co/iR2bHjj4xq

— Fix Our Schools (@Fix_Our_Schools) August 15, 2020

In the same Toronto Star article, Fix Our Schools responded to Education Minister Lecce’s new allocation of $50-M for HVAC improvements in Ontario’s schools by saying this investment was “too little too late”. Krista Wylie, co-founder of Fix Our Schools noted that this investment only amounts to roughly $10,000 per school and that there were only a few weeks until schools are to reopen, leaving many classrooms in the position of likely being poorly ventilated this September.

Many are worried poor ventilation, especially at older schools, will pose extra risk in the time of COVID-19.

With helpful graphics from @DeightonMcKenna, @maywarren11 covers what you need to know about ventilation as Ontario prepares for back to school. https://t.co/6byzYjU24Z

— Toronto Star (@TorontoStar) August 16, 2020

Finally, the August 15 Toronto Star Article provides some vivid visuals about what bad, good and best classroom ventilation/airflow scenarios would look like, so be sure to check in with your children, teachers and education workers to find out what the scenario is like in their environment, once classes resume. Depending on what you discover, contact your local MPP and also Premier Ford (premier@ontario.ca) and Minister Lecce (stephen.lecce@pc.ola.org) to voice your concerns and urge this provincial government to provide the funding actually needed for schools to be the safe, healthy, well-maintained buildings that they ought to be.