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District presents spring indoor air quality results; maintenance outlines fixes for 'fair' ratings
Summary
The district reviewed its spring indoor air quality inspections, expanded sampling to represent about 10% of school square footage, reported IAQ ratings (very good/good/fair/poor), and outlined corrective steps including HVAC adjustments, moisture remediation, and increased vent and filter maintenance.
Orange County Schools maintenance staff on Monday reported results from spring indoor air quality (IAQ) inspections and outlined corrective steps for schools rated 'fair.'
Hank McKee, OCS director of maintenance, said the district increased sampling this year to aim for a 10% snapshot of each school’s square footage, which in some buildings meant 10–15 samples. McKee described IAQ scoring that combines laboratory analyses, CO2, humidity, temperature and visual inspection into four categories: very good, good, fair and poor. “Sampling inspections take place as a snapshot of what the environment is in the school,” he said, and noted that carbon dioxide (CO2) readings below 1,000 parts per million are considered ideal for alertness and concentration.
McKee summarized actions for schools rated fair: HVAC adjustments, moisture‑intrusion remediation, addressing visible organic growth, updated sampling and environmental adjustments. He listed ongoing maintenance measures: filter changes every 90 days, quarterly vent cleaning, coil cleaning every two years and duct cleaning every five years. Board members asked about spikes in CO2 in 9 of 13 schools, the effect of HVAC set points during moderate outdoor temperatures, and timelines for major replacements; McKee said Stanback Elementary requires an HVAC replacement (an RFQ is out) and Orange High School needs ongoing monitoring and adjustments.
Board members said IAQ improvements matter for student concentration and testing environments; staff described a new work‑order software system that has tracked thousands of maintenance requests and is the primary mechanism for schools to report HVAC issues. McKee told the board the maintenance team has processed roughly 3,700 work orders since July 1 and that many HVAC problems are handled via targeted set‑point adjustments or work orders rather than waiting for the biannual IAQ report.
The district will continue targeted remediation at identified sites and take follow‑up samples after corrective work.
