Nevada K–12 District Becomes First in U.S. to Achieve UL Verified Ventilation, Filtration Mark

  • By Matt Jones
  • 10/24/23

HVAC and air-cleaning systems performance testing solutions provider SafeTraces recently announced that the Clark County School District (CCSD) in Nevada has become the first public school district in the U.S. to achieve the UL Verified Ventilation & Filtration (VVF) annual verification mark in its portfolio of facilities, according to a news release.

UL Verified Ventilation & Filtration launched in March 2022 and is the only performance-based rating and assessment for pathogen protection provided by public HVAC and air-cleaning systems. The verification mark is given to buildings that meet performance requirements linked to CDC ventilation targets and ASHRAE building standards, the news release reports. CCSD is the fifth-largest public school district in the country, with 374 schools and more than 315,000 students.

“We are extremely proud to become the first public school district in the nation to earn the UL-SafeTraces Verified Ventilation & Filtration mark,” said Lori Olson, Director of Environmental Services at CCSD. “This achievement demonstrates Clark County School District's leadership and commitment to ensuring a healthy learning environment for all of our students, teachers, and staff. Moreover, it is one of the best and smartest investments that we can possibly make to improve student attendance, enrollment, and performance in order to ultimately deliver on CCSD's mission and strengthen our foundation for the future.”

The verification process involves a building-level desktop audit, as well as measurement and verification of air-cleaning system and HVAC performance in high-occupancy buildings. The process uses SafeTraces’ veriDART biotechnology-enabled performance testing and analytics platform.

“Led by Lori Olson and her team, CCSD's achievement of the UL VVF mark sends a powerful message to public school districts across the country about the fundamental importance of indoor air quality and pathogen protection to a healthy learning environment,” said SafeTraces CEO Erik Malmstrom. “Public school facilities are fully capable of meeting health-based ventilation standards with strong leadership and will, and without necessarily entailing significant cost and disruption. Other public school districts should follow CCSD's inspiring example. And our society should hold our school facilities to a higher standard and support them to do achieve this standard.”

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • University of Utah Launches Utah 360 App

    The University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah, recently announced that it has partnered with digital engagement hub Pathify to launch a new app for the university community, according to a news release.

  • School Construction Projects Boom as Education Systems Address Aging Facilities and Growth

    Construction opportunities are almost always abundant, but currently there are more than usual construction projects being launched for public school campuses. Common objectives include major renovation or expansion of aging facilities, total replacement of inefficient classrooms, upgrades to lighting, technology, and security equipment, and adding new sports and cultural facilities.

  • Empowering People Through Smart, Sustainable Campuses

    Sustainability is facing increasing scrutiny, with some questioning its costs and priorities. Yet for universities, it remains an essential driver of resilience, operational efficiency and long-term competitiveness. At the same time, there is a growing recognition that sustainable transformation is not just about reducing energy consumption and emissions to comply with tightening regulations ‒ it’s about creating vibrant, comfortable environments where people can thrive, innovate and connect. For university leadership, this is a complex balancing act, with rising energy costs and limited budgets only adding to the challenge.

  • StarRez Releases 2025 State of Student Housing Report

    Student housing software solutions provider StarRez recently released its second State of the Student Housing Industry Report, according to a news release. The report is based on the results of survey data from more than 400 higher education institutions around the world, both StarRez clients and not.