Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

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

  • TCU Marks Campus Expansion Milestone

    Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas, recently held a topping-out ceremony to mark progress on a major campus expansion effort including four new residential facilities and a five-story parking garage, according to a news release.

  • Wold Completes Geothermal Projects at Two Minnesota Schools

    Wold Architects & Engineers recently announced that it has completed two geothermal expansion projects for Mounds View Public Schools in Shoreview, Minn., according to a news release. The work at Highview Middle School and Irondale High School serves the district’s long-term goal of reducing energy costs and dependency on non-renewable fuel sources, as well as improving building performance.

  • Designing for Every Mind

    Learning environments have the power to shape not just what students know, but who they become. When a school is designed with genuine empathy—for the full range of ways students think, sense, and engage with the world—it becomes more than a building. It becomes a catalyst for growth, confidence, and belonging. That is the animating idea behind neurodiverse design, and it is one that is transforming how more architects and designers are thinking about school design.

  • Year-Round Schools Require Year-Round Indoor Air Quality Planning

    While many schools are out for the summer, year-round schools follow a more “balanced” schedule with shorter, more frequent breaks spaced throughout the school year. Even though this offers educational benefits, these facilities have less downtime for building maintenance. This can become an issue when facilities managers overlook the importance of routine HVAC maintenance and air duct cleaning services.