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UPDATED: Resources for Educational Facilities During COVID-19

  • By Yvonne Marquez
  • 05/13/20

(Updated 5/13, originally published on 4/3)

With COVID-19 changing the educational landscape each day, school and college decision makers need all the help they can get during this global crisis. Spaces4Learning has gathered resources on everything schools and colleges need to consider regarding educational facilities, construction, design and planning of new facilities, maintenance, managing employees and much more. Bookmark this post and check it often as we’ll update it frequently.

Architecture

From Architect Magazine — How Architecture Firms Are Responding to COVID-19

COVID-19 resources for architects by The American Institute of Architects

CDC Guidance For Schools and Colleges

Guidance for Schools and Child Care Programs

Guidance for Institutes of Higher Education

Cleaning and Disinfecting

CDC’s Cleaning and Disinfecting Your Facility

Spaces4Learning's Resources on Cleaning and Sanitizing Schools

ISSA's Cleaning and Disinfecting for the Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2)

Cleaning Maintenance & Management's Prepare to Prevent: A 3-Part Approach for Facility Managers Amid Concern over COVID-19 

EPA'S List N: Disinfectants for Use Against SARS-CoV-2

Washington State Dept. of Health's Classroom Cleaning Tips for Teachers

Construction

Is Construction Essential In Your State? by ConstructConnect

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act: An Analysis for the Construction Industry from The Associated General Contractors of America

Construction Safety Industry Coalition Recommendations: COVID-19 Exposure Prevention, Preparedness, and Response Plan for Construction

Master Builders' Association Project Shutdown Guide

Contractor Advisorly's How To Stay Safe As A Contractor During COVID-19 Pandemic

The Journal of Light Construction's Coronavirus Construction Limits: State-by-State Tracker and A Builder's Guide to COVID-19

Employee Considerations

National Association of Independent Schools: Employee Considerations for Schools with a Closed or Partially Closed Campus

Fisher Phillips' Comprehensive And Updated FAQs For Employers On The COVID-19 Coronavirus

Texas Association of School Boards' COVID-19 FAQs on Employment/Personnel Issues and Personnel Issues During Disasters, Emergencies, and College Closings

Department of Labor's Families First Coronavirus Response Act: Questions and Answers

Equity and Inclusion

ITHAKA-S+R's Going Test-Optional with Equity in Mind

From the Department of Education:

-Q&A On Providing Services to Children With Disabilities During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Outbreak

-Supplemental Fact Sheet Addressing the Risk of COVID-19 in Preschool, Elementary and Secondary Schools While Serving Children with Disabilities

-Fact Sheet: Addressing the Risk of COVID-19 in Schools While Protecting the Civil Rights of Students

Facilities

Higher Ed COVID-19 collaboration: Use of higher ed facilities by health care institutions

WHO'S Water, sanitation, hygiene and waste management for the COVID-19 virus

National Council on School Facilities - Questions to Consider When Reopening School Facilities

Food Service

FNS Actions to Respond to COVID-19

Disaster and Emergency Preparedness: Guidance for Schools

Emergency Readiness Plan: A Guide for the School Foodservice Operation

USDA Foods Program Disaster Manual

Cornell University's Food Facility COVID-19 Strategy Checklist

General

National School Board Association’s Preparing for Widespread Illness in Your School Community: A Legal Guide for School Leaders 

Suggested Strategies for Pick-up Event

WHO'S Key Messages and Actions for COVID-19 Prevention and Control in Schools

HVAC

Fanning Howey's Maintaining School HVAC Systems to Address COVID-19

A.G. Coombs' HVAC and COVID-19 explained

Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools Action Kit

Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools: Preventive Maintenance Guidance Documents

ASHRAE Position Document on Airborne Infectious Diseases

ASHRAE's Check List for School IAQ Operations

Planning

The Society for College and University Planning: Integrated Planning in a VUCA Environment

ITHAKA-S+R's Planning for the Recovery: Advice from a Former College President

Reopening Higher Ed

ACHA Guidelines: Considerations for Reopening Institutions of Higher Education in the COVID-19 Era

Have a resource that should be added to the list? Email me at [email protected].

Featured

  • Philadelphia Middle School Facility Earns LEED Gold Certification

    The Alternative Middle Years (AMY) at James Martin Middle School in Philadelphia, Penn., recently received a LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, according to a news release. The School District of Pennsylvania partnered with KSS Architects on the project.

  • DFW-Area District Opens New Replacement Middle School

    The Eagle Mountain-Saginaw Independent School District near Fort Worth, Texas, recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new replacement middle school campus, according to a news release. The new facility for Wayside Middle School, originally established in 1964, was built on the site of the former district administration building and funded through Bond Proposition A in 2023.

  • Kimball International Releases Curated Design Support Program

    Commercial furnishings company Kimball International recently announced the launch of a new end-to-end design support program, DesignSuite. According to a news release, its goal is to guide architecture & design professionals and dealer partners through the process from vision to specification.

  • Arizona District Breaks Ground on Community Training, Learning Center

    The Tolleson Union High School District (TUHSD) in Tolleson, Ariz., recently broke ground on a new Training & Learning Center (TLC) for both district professionals and the community at large, according to a news release. The 90,000-square-foot facility has an estimated completion date of spring 2027.