CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – Clay County Schools said there are no concerns with respect to two lingering issues the district has faced in the past: Portable classrooms and HVAC systems.
Because of questions some parents may have about safety with the COVID-19 pandemic, News4Jax asked the district questions about these two issues two weeks before classes start.
Both issues have been discussed by the school board as possible problems in years past.
In a statement to News4Jax, the district said, “Clay County District Schools currently has 845 portables. Clay County is 4th in the state behind Orange, Broward, Palm Beach, and Miami-Dade.”
The issue of HVAC came to light after the A/C chiller at Oakleaf Elementary School failed last year and classes had to be temporarily canceled.
Then, months later, when the school board was debating a proposed property tax hike to fix aging schools, there were a lot of concerns raised on improving HVAC systems. Now the district is saying the systems are in stable working order.
“Currently, the status of the HVAC units are stable and there are no major issues,” the district said in a statement. “There is nothing scheduled above and beyond typical scheduled maintenance. Of course, the Operations Department is hands-on deck when school starts to address any potential issues. The District has recently contracted with a filter replacement company to assist with a tighter schedule for all schools and district offices.”
The district does not feel either the HVAC or amount of portable classrooms will be a health concern for COVID-19 transmission or with breathability for students and staff who will be required to wear masks.
The school board adopted a mask mandate for most students weeks ago for the upcoming school year.
“There are no concerns with ventilation. The Department of Health has reiterated that this is not an airborne virus,” the district said.
News4Jax spoke with parents about this issue who are happy the district is improving its service schedule on HVAC units.
“I think they should be checking the filters, a microfiber filter that could help circulate the air. But you know, get the bad toxins out of the air if at all possible but I’m not too worried about sending the kids back to school,” said parent Randy Lane.
Students are scheduled to return to classes on Aug. 25.