Statewide clean air initiative in schools and daycares
There is still time to participate in one of the most important clean air initiatives in Utah! For a limited time, the Utah Department of Health and Human Services is offering HEPA air purifiers to every classroom and state-licensed childcare facility in the state!
UPHE is helping to coordinate the program. Jake Jensen, the Lead Coordinator for K-12 schools, was quoted in a Government Technology article explaining, “To participate, schools and districts just need to reach out to one of our UPHE staff and request the number of purifiers they need to cover their school … and we get the order placed.”
The program allows for a purifier in every classroom. It may sound too good to be true but it’s not. The federally funded grant even allows for up to six years of replacement filters, at no cost to the school.
The Government Technology article cites the American Lung Association report on air pollution, “For Utah, 14 of 29 counties provided data for the report card on high-ozone days. There were no A grades listed in that category, but seven counties received an F. On the particle pollution report card, for which Utah listed 10 participating counties, none received an A, but two got a D and five received an F.”
