School buildings get updates, redesigns for pandemic learning

BOSTON — The pandemic is prompting a top to bottom review of every aspect of education, from where kids will sit to the quality of the air they’ll breathe and share when they eventually return to school.

Boston School Department officials, like their peers across the state, are now assessing how school buildings should be adapted to safe learning. Superintendent Brenda Cassellius recently said officials are addressing facility concerns, from bathrooms and water temperature to fixing windows and ordering HVAC filters.

Paul Viccica, a principal at CBT Architects in Boston, says the whole review process is happening at breakneck speed and as schools consider social distancing guidelines, space quickly disappears.

“I think one of the issues is how we create classrooms that are not in a traditional space. We always talked pre-pandemic about spaces outside the classroom and how you learn everywhere,” said Viccica, who specializes in educational projects. While a high school science class may be able to move outside easily, Viccica admits it’s tougher for younger students. “They use a lot of manipulatives, so there’s a lot of storage and areas of the classroom that will have to be removed.”

Giving kids enough space to observe social distancing is just one challenge. There are also concerns about circulating fresh air throughout the buildings.

“When there’s a school that’s without operable windows, that becomes an incredible challenge,” added Viccica. Many of those buildings were built in the 1950s and 60s.

Ironically, some of the oldest buildings can adapt the fastest, just by opening the large, old-fashioned windows. “Those are actually the perfect schools now because they don’t have to rely on mechanical ventilation,” said Viccica. Some new buildings, like Billerica High School, which opened last September, can quickly change the settings on their state-of-the-art HVAC systems to improve safety.

Making physical changes to school buildings isn’t cheap, particularly at a time when many districts are already cash strapped.

As Viccica consults with districts, he tries to think about changes that will provide payoff in the future as well. “Changing furniture is one of the things that we’re doing often, so it’s an efficient layout. It’s also cleanable and useful for individual storage, backpack storage underneath their seat for instance. That investment actually pays off in the long run.”

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RESOURCES:

- Massachusetts Coronavirus Information

- Boston Coronavirus Information

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