Worry over air quality in schools pushes London, Ont., parents to 'take matters into our own hands'

A group of parents in London, Ont., say they're taking matters into their own hands by starting an online fundraiser to buy hundreds of high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters they say are needed to protect teachers and students from COVID-19. 

Education Minister Stephen Lecce said the province would have "strong protections in place" when he announced Ontario students would return to in-class learning on Jan. 17. They include additional rapid antigen tests, better masks for students and teachers, and improved ventilation for schools, including some 3,000 additional HEPA filters to be installed in classrooms around the province. 

The Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) said it has already deployed 1,413 HEPA units and a number of ventilation system upgrades at a cost of $72.6 million over the last five years, which includes: 

The board has confirmed it will receive an additional 89 HEPA units from the province within the next two weeks, which "will be prioritized to classrooms with students that have approved masking exemptions," a spokesperson said in a statement.

But that's not enough for London parents behind an online fundraising campaign through the Thames Valley Education Foundation. The aim is to eventually buy enough filters for the TVDSB's entire fleet of 4,025 classrooms. 

"I feel they are putting some protections in place in that they have some HEPA units around," said Lyndsay Fitzgeorge, a mother of two children and co-ordinator of the fitness and health promotion program at Fanshawe College. 

"Would I call that a strong effort? Probably not. This is why we're doing the campaign right?"

Fitzgeorge has organized the campaign along with Corrine Rahman, a mother of three and a TVDSB trustee.

"The government understands the importance of HEPA filters because they're sending them across the province, but unfortunately our school board only has 25 per cent coverage," Fitzgeorge said. 

"We've decided we need to act now, like we need to start doing something, and take matters into our own hands."

As of Friday, the fundraising effort had raised approximately $3,300. According to school board officials, each filter costs $960 to purchase and install, with another $200 a year for maintenance, including electricity, filter changes and general maintenance. 

"The evidence is abundantly clear that the virus that causes COVID-19 is in the air, so cleaning the air just makes sense," Fitzgeorge said. 

But not everyone agrees.

While Ontario has recently made extensive efforts to install HEPA filters in classrooms, other provinces such as Alberta and Quebec are not.