Clean Indoor Air Garners Further Success for Green Meadows Schoolhouse
Partner Update: Safely Paced Operational Approach Prioritizes Clean Indoor Air, Garners Success for Ohio Childcare Provider
In March 2020 Leah Kayes, owner of Green Meadows Schoolhouse, applied for an emergency pandemic license to provide care for children of essential workers during a critical time in her Lewis Center, Ohio community. In her efforts to protect children and staff, Kayes had added an ISO-Aire HEPA air purifier. A year later, Kayes is preparing to open two new childcare locations. Much of her success rests in implementing a comprehensive Health and Safety Education Operating Plan which prioritizes clean indoor air quality as well as best-practice mitigation guidance from ASHRAE, the CDC and state health organizations.
“Green Meadows not only demonstrated an ability to operate safely despite COVID-19 but showcased an ability to operate with a waiting list throughout the pandemic,” noted consultant Robert Kania of Education Safety Solutions. Kania works alongside Kayes and many other educators to help establish, maintain, and monitor policies, guidance, and safety measures in their facilities.
In fact, Kania explained, the schoolhouse’s purified air has helped significantly reduce transmission of seasonal viruses such as pink eye, RSV, and the flu, while also noting fewer call-offs, or absences, by both children and staff. “We’ve not experienced a single case of the flu over the past month and have seen cases of just a handful of illnesses, which is very unexpected this time of year,” Kania noted. “The added layer of clean air purification is a major factor along with precautionary protocols such as surface cleaning, regular temperature readings, and masks for staff.”
Early in the pandemic, Kania recommended installing an ISO-Aire RSF1000 engineered with both medical-grade HEPA filtration and UVC sterilization in the school’s Sunshine room which served double-duty as a COVID-19 isolation room. ISO-Aire removes contaminated air through a high-powered fan and returns purified air to a classroom or other space. Utilizing powerful and proven clean air technology, ISO-Aire captures and destroys 99.99% of airborne contaminants including viruses and emerging variants, bacteria, mold, pollen, dust, smoke, and VOCs.
"When we implemented our Health & Safety in Education Operating plan, every component was necessary in order to be successful and that starts with clean air,” Kayes explained. “We would not have been as successful seamlessly operating throughout the pandemic if we were not able to provide a clean and healthy environment for the children and staff.”
Looking ahead, Kayes plans to install ISO-Aire RSP750 units equipped with medical-grade HEPA filtration and ozone-free bipolar ionization at her new facilities. The RSP portable solution was designed and manufactured in 2020 based on feedback from Kayes and her staff who knew a mobile air purification option would work wonders inside the schoolhouse.
“Mobile units solve a lot of potential issues that childcare providers are faced with,” noted Kania. “For example, being able to deliver purified air to a classroom with a symptomatic child can help quickly mitigate airborne transmission and ensures that child, and their caregiver, have purified air to breathe.”
Operate safely and with confidence continues to be the guiding approach for Green Meadows Schoolhouse and ISO-Aire is proud to be a part of the expansion. ISO-Aire delivers proven COVID-19 mitigation strategies that are recommended for indoor air quality established by ASHRAE and the Centers for Disease Control. The easy-to-install units are manufactured in Minnesota with U.S.-made components. In addition to creating purified air for teachers and students inside schools and daycare centers, ISO-Aire protects occupants in restaurants, fitness centers, salons, churches, senior living facilities, and more. Visit us at www.ISO-Aire.com.