Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Georgia Schools Add Ionization Devices to HVAC Systems

  • By Matt Jones
  • 03/02/21

The Bibb County School District in Macon, Ga., announced in a press release that it will be adding needlepoint bi-polar ionization devices to the HVAC systems in each of its schools.

Designed to clean the air of normal impurities like dirt, mold, and dust, these devices have also been proven to remove 99.9% of infections pathogens—including SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. They had already been added to several schools in the district as part of normal renovations and upgrades, including Appling Middle School, John R. Lewis Elementary, and Hartley Elementary. The district expressed a goal to have all of its schools outfitted with the ionization devices by the end of February.

School district communications specialist Jeremy Timmerman calls them an extra layer of protection. “We have masks in place, we have social distancing in place, we have policies for quarantining both faculty, staff, and students for the case of someone contracting the virus or being in contact with the virus,” he said. “This is just another way that we can keep students safe when they come back to the classroom.”

According to a video released by the school district on Twitter, the device ties straight into a school’s HVAC unit and is mounted on the side. It positively charges the air passing through it to create a plasma field. The positive ions that it emits cause the virus to “try to clump together to survive,” robbing the virus of the hydrogen atoms that it needs to stay alive. “Obviously, the more ions you put in the air, the better the system is,” said Sam Kitchens, executive director of Capital Programs, in the video.

About the Author

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

Featured

  • North Texas School District Completes Third New Elementary School

    The Denton Independent School District in Dallas, Texas, recently finished construction on its third prototype design elementary school, Reeves Elementary, according to a news release.

  • UNT Dallas Holds Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony for $100M STEM Building

    The University of North Texas at Dallas in Dallas, Texas, recently celebrated the opening of its new, $100-million STEM Building, according to local news. The ceremony on Dec. 2 preceded the first day of classes in the facility on Jan. 12, 2026.

  • Wisconsin District Breaks Ground on New Elementary School

    The School District of La Crosse in La Crosse, Wis., recently broke ground on a new elementary school that will consolidate the students and staff of two existing schools, according to local news. Funding for the school comes from a $53-million referendum approved in 2024.

  • Ohio State University Opens 26-Story Hospital

    The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center recently opened in Columbus, Ohio, standing 26 stories and covering 1.9 million square feet, according to a university news release. The project marks ten years of effort and is the university’s largest single-facility construction project ever.