Through federal COVID relief funds the Iroquois School District is using $249,000 to install an air purification system.  This is just another tool to help slow the spread and try to keep as many kids in classrooms  It’s called ActivePure and by using certified space technology, it has grown in popularity among big casino, hotels and even major league baseball.

Now after months of planning over winter break at Iroquois it was installed.

The idea, according to Superintendent Shane Murray is to slow the spread and help keep students in class, while also giving kids a safe learning environment. Not only does this technology help stop the spread of COVID but also most other viruses, like the flu. 

It isn't going to completely eradicate all COVID cases, but Murray says this along with masking when transmission levels are high in Erie County can help significantly decrease cases.

“We actually have units in every room. Some are in the air ducts some are in the ceiling tiles, others are portable units that are plugged in the wall and they look like little boxes in the classroom. We had engineers come in look at where our populations are throughout the day and design a system that is both cost effective and provide safety for our kid,” explains Murray.

Almost two years into the pandemic, Iroquois School District is trying out something different to keep kids in the classroom. Its air purification technology all ActivePure, that COO of Pure Air Solutions Arnold Becker says can help reduce the number of sick kids in the classroom.

“ActivePure technology is a technology that can be ran 24/7 in occupied spaces safely and the distinction is that it's an active technology and it fills the space will the same molecules you find in outdoor air and works to reduce the pathogen load in buildings instantly,” Becker says.  

Murray has been dedicated to keeping students in the classrooms as much as possible. He believes this purification system will help to drastically reduce cases.

“We believe and the science will support that this will stop any school to school spread,” says Murray.

The science has been tested in schools across the country. It has even been installed in a school district in Philadelphia where they saw COVID cases go down too, attributing it to the purification system.  The air filtration systems at Iroquois are installed in the existing HVAC system, as well as floor models that are now in every classroom in the East Erie School District.

“We have real world results showing the absentees going down, and showing the student to student and student to teacher transmission going down,” says Becker.

One person who wishes this technology existed for them? 2020 Iroquois High grad Jaxon Abel. He recently was elected onto the school board, and says his experience as a grad during the beginning of the pandemic inspired him run for a board seat. He hopes no other class of students have to go without an in person graduation again.

“Graduating from high school is something you only do once so hopefully with the right decisions something like that never happens again,” says Abel.