LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Clark County School District says it is working to minimize any potential spread of the coronavirus and keep students and teachers safe before it welcomes some students back into classrooms.
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Staff at Eisenberg Elementary School demonstrated part of the process on Thursday, spraying down a classroom with germicide and wiping and sanitizing desks.
“Daily, we will continue to clean the room," said CCSD chief of facilities Jeff Wagner.
"They’ll [staff will] be using a germicidal product that is an effective disinfectant when dwelling for five minutes," he explained.
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Cleaning and disinfecting will happen a few times a day in all classrooms during teacher preparation times or at the end of the school day.
A variety of sprays that kill germs or viruses will be used and teachers will also have cleaning supplies to wipe surfaces down. Little signs will be placed at doors showing when a room was last disinfected.
There are also measures in place in case someone tests positive for COVID-19 at school.
“If need be, we have the ability to deploy rapid disinfection using electro-static discharge fogging,” Wagner said.
CCSD Supt. Dr. Jesus Jara says parents will be self-reporting on the health of their kids before they return to campus and urged them to leave their kids home if they’re sick.
“This not the end of the marking period, the end of the year to win perfect attendance,” he said.
District staff says all schools will have the supplies they need to thoroughly clean the campus.
“Schools have more cleaning supplies in them, and we are watching that protocol very closely,” Wagner said.
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But it's what is in the ceiling that may provide some of the most important protection.
New air purification systems have been installed in nurses’ offices and sick rooms at all schools. The rooms were chosen where medically vulnerable students would be located.
“It was a targeted approach as an extra layer of defense in specific situations,” Wagner said.
The systems were installed in the fall last year and cost almost $2 million in CARES Act funds. They are meant to make the virus easier to catch in filters, and therefore harder to spread.
“The ions also attack the proteins on the exterior of the virus, essentially rendering them ineffective at transmission,” Wagner said.
District staff says the new system is in place, along with other measures to improve airflow on campus.
“Replacing all our air filters, increasing outdoor air ventilation, and ensuring our systems function properly,” Wagner said.
Supt. Jara also says if there is a positive case with the different cohorts, contact tracing would be easier and the entire school wouldn’t have to be shut down.
The district says all of the supplies are were bought with CARES Act funding.
