Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

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

  • LSU Breaks Ground on $200M Residential Project

    Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, La., recently broke ground on a new residential complex, according to university news. The South Quad residential project will consist of two buildings and add a total of 1,266 beds for freshmen students. The development comes with a price tag of $200 million, and it’s scheduled to open to students in fall 2027.

  • classroom with crystal ball on top of a desk

    Call for Opinions: Spaces4Learning 2026 Predictions for Educational Facilities

    As 2025 winds to a close, the Spaces4Learning staff is asking its readers—school administrators, architects, engineers, facilities managers, builders, superintendents, designers, vendors, and more—to send us their predictions for educational facilities in 2026.

  • Utah Valley University Opens New Engineering Building

    Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, recently held a grand-opening ceremony for the new Scott M. Smith Engineering Building, according to a news release. The facility is one of the largest engineering buildings in the state at almost 200,000 square feet, and it plays home to the university’s Smith College of Engineering and Technology (SCET).

  • Illinois District Boosts Security at High-School Stadium

    Richmond-Burton Community High School in Richmond, Ill., recently announced that it has completed the redesigned entrance to its high school stadium with a new focus on school security and community engagement, according to a news release. The district partnered with Wold Architects and Engineers on the project as part of District #157’s year-long facilities master plan.

Digital Edition