The Union has requested that this assessment be shared with employees and the community to ensure confidence that the buildings have the highest quality air circulation system in order to protect the children, communities, and employees. Despite the Union constantly demanding this assessment, including in negotiations around the reopening of schools, the district has yet to produce a report even though students are being brought back to school next week. Many other school districts around the state have produced such reports, and many reports have revealed serious inadequacies in school building HVAC systems.
“Experts at all levels — from the federal government and the Commonwealth to the Department of Education and scientists — have stressed the importance of quality, protective air circulation to keep the risk of airborne virus transmission as low as possible,” said Andrew Powell, a state union representative of the American Federation of Teachers Massachusetts."It is the responsibility of everyone, regardless of if you are a teacher, a school principal, or school committee member, to ensure the safest school environment possible, especially in the middle of a Pandemic that has already killed nearly 200,000 people in this nation," said Nicole Reminder, President of the North Attleboro Federation of Teachers. "Why has the district not released an assessment of the HVAC for the public to see?"