Kyrene School District Purchases HEPA Filters

Posted August 2020

Kyrene Elementary School District’s Governing Board just approved the purchase of HEPA air filtration systems for every classroom in Kyrene. The Board voted to approved the purchase at its August 25 meeting, and all filters are scheduled for installation prior to September 17, when the first students will return for in-person instruction.

Individual Portable HEPA Filtration systems will be installed in classrooms, health offices and other areas across Kyrene’s 25 in-person campuses, as well as the District Office, providing an additional layer of health and safety to Kyrene’s current mitigation plans.

“An important requirement for these filters is that they aren’t a distraction in the classroom,” Superintendent Dr. Jan Vesely says. “These machines are whisper-quiet, creating a safer environment without disrupting learning.”

Kyrene selected the Bissell air400 Air Purifier, capable of capturing 99.97% of particles that are 0.3 micron or smaller. In a study on the efficiency of HEPA filters, NASA found that filtration is almost 100% at .01 micron, with the Coronavirus measuring at around .0125 micron. The air400 will recirculate air in a 1,200 square foot space every 35 minutes, easily supporting Kyrene’s standard classroom size of 1,000 square feet.

The District will cover the cost of the equipment ($442,416 total) by allocating Bond funds.

“Kyrene is grateful to have the support of voters in Tempe, Phoenix, Chandler and other communities within our boundaries,” says CFO Chris Herrmann. “This purchase is possible, thanks to voters who reauthorized the Bond in 2017. Your dollars make our schools safer.”

Air purification is just one of Kyrene’s many safety initiatives for a safe return to school and in-person learning. View a full list of safety measures and the District’s complete mitigation plan, visit www.kyrene.org/safestrong.