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Santa Rosa students to get cleaner air, water
- Updated: August 13, 2020
SRISD board approves air purifying technology & touchless water fountains
Special to LFN
SANTA ROSA — The students of Santa Rosa Independent School District will breathe a little easier when the school doors reopen thanks to a newly purchased air filtering system that kills viruses and bacteria and removes allergens from the indoor air.
The SRISD Board of Directors voted on July 27 to purchase the Needlepoint Bipolar Ionizer, an air purifying technology that produces positively and negatively charged ions that kill pathogens and aides in stopping the spread of disease, such as COVID-19. It will cost the district $190,752.
According to SRISD Board President Santos Castaneda, investing in the air ionizer is a proactive measure for the new school year.
“Nothing is more important than the health and safety of our children,” Castaneda said. “We don’t want to wait until we have a problem. We owe it to the students and staff to provide the healthiest possible environment for them.”
The board also voted to purchase 70 touchless water fountains that dispense filtered water. The fountains, which will cost $89,550, will not only provide cleaner water but better prevent the spread of germs.
Though the Santa Rosa schools will have some of the cleanest air in the Rio Grande Valley, Superintendent Dr. Angela Gonzalez said the students and staff will still be required to wear face masks for the protection of themselves and others.
“We’re going to follow the guidelines of the health authorities and TEA until COVID-19 is no longer a threat,” Gonzalez said.
According to the re-opening plan presented to the SRISD board, SRISD students will begin school on Monday, Aug. 17. They will take online classes from home for eight weeks and then take regular classes on campus beginning Monday, Sept. 28.
Castaneda is highly impressed by the district’s leadership team.
“So many of the faculty and staff have been meeting and planning and working on their own time to make sure the students get the education and safety they need. The community is very fortunate to have such dedicated educators,” the board president said.
