Georgia District Installs Disinfection Devices on Buses

The Meriwether County School District in Greenville, Ga., announced this week that its school board has voted to install disinfection devices on buses. The devices are capable of reducing up to 99.96% of harmful viruses that travel via air and by surface transmission, including SARS-CoV-2.

“We were at risk of losing bus drivers due to fear of COVID,” said Dr. Robert Griffin, Meriwether Superintendent. “Now we can load, travel and unload our buses knowing the air and surfaces are disinfected.”

The school board has purchased 113 CASPR (Continuous Air and Surface Pathogen Reduction) transit units from the Atlanta-based BioShark. According to a press release, the CASPR units convert natural airflow into low levels of gaseous hydrogen peroxide. The device runs continuously while the vehicle is in operation and will replace the current methods of chemical spraying and cleaning the fleet of buses.

“Our goal is to provide peace of mind for students, parents, staff and bus drivers to breathe the air and touch the surfaces without fear,” said BioShark’s Shannon Grube. “This will result in savings by reducing substitute bus drivers and teachers.”

According to the news release, the device does not leave a residue or have a corrosive effect on bus metals or seats. Officials anticipate that this will also help reduce bus maintenance expenses.

About the Author

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

Featured

  • From Approval to Opening: Inside Travis Unified School District’s Fast Tracked Campus Expansion

    The Travis Unified School District (TUSD) in northern California includes several elementary and high schools serving over 5,400 students. In 2024, the TUSD Board approved the addition of sixth grade to the Golden West Middle School campus for the 2025–26 school year, setting in motion an accelerated effort to bring new facilities online in less than a year.

  • University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Launches New Emergency Communications System

    The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) recently deployed a new emergency notification and incident management system for its campus, according to a news release. The university partnered with 911Cellular to launch Safe@UTC, a smartphone app allowing university officials to communicate and respond during emergency situations.

  • Illinois State University Breaks Ground on College of Fine Arts Transformation

    Illinois State University in Normal, Ill., recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for the Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts transformation project, according to university news. The series of new constructions and renovations will upgrade spaces in Centennial East, the Center for the Visual Arts, and the Center for the Performing Arts, as well as replace the existing Centennial West facility with a new Commons Building.

  • California School District Completes Elementary School Modernization

    The San Diego Unified School District in San Diego, Calif., recently held a ribbon-cutting for a whole-site modernization of Pacific Beach Elementary School, according to local news. The school first opened with one building in 1930 and added six more between 1938 and 1957.