The Issue

We recognize that clean indoor air is a fundamental right for our students and educators.

While the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) is aligned in principle with providing clean air, there is a significant gap between our current infrastructure and the health standards set by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Both agencies now recommend a minimum of 5 Air Changes per Hour (ACH) to protect against respiratory viruses and wildfire smoke.

The Reality in Our Classrooms

Currently, most SFUSD classrooms rely on a single "black box" portable air purifier. While a step in the right direction, this single unit is insufficient to reach the 5 ACH target (which requires roughly 750 CFM of clean air delivery in a typical classroom).

The primary obstacle is not a lack of will, but a lack of funding. SFUSD currently lacks the capital to procure the more powerful, hospital-grade, and quiet filtration systems necessary to meet state and federal safety benchmarks.

The Opportunity: EPA Grant EPA-OAR-ORIA-25-03

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has opened the Wildfire Smoke Preparedness in Community Buildings grant.

• Targeted Funding: This grant specifically funds the "deployment of portable air cleaners" and HVAC upgrades.

• The SF Case: As a district frequently impacted by annual wildfire smoke, SFUSD is a premier candidate for this nationally competitive funding.

• The Deadline: The application window is short, with a "short fuse" deadline of April 15, 2026.

• https://www.epa.gov/grants/wildfire-smoke-preparedness-community-buildings

The EPA grant program can fund a significant percentage if not the full amount needed for all 3,000 classrooms In SFUSD which would cost $400-$1200 per classroom depending on the chosen option:

• “The total estimated funding for this competitive opportunity is approximately $13,580,000.

• Funded projects will have up to a 3-year project period.

• Individual awards are expected to range from $350,000 to $2,500,000 total.”

Our Request

We call on the SFUSD Board of Education and Superintendent to:

1. Acknowledge that current classroom filtration does not meet the 5 ACH standard.

2. Commit to meeting the CDPH and CDC 5 ACH standard as a district-wide health priority.

3. Apply immediately for the EPA Wildfire Smoke Preparedness Grant to secure the federal funding needed to bring high-performance air purifiers to every classroom.

We hope SFUSD will commit to clean air that meets health standards and urge SFUSD to seize this federal funding opportunity before the April 15 deadline.

Clean Air, Bright Minds

• Rori Abernethy - Math Teacher James Denman Middle School, Devabhaktuni Srikrishna - Engineer and SFUSD Parent, Valerie Carp - Clinical Research Associate at UCSF Medical Center and SFUSD Parent

5 SFUSD Schools That Already Implemented 5 ACH in Classrooms Using Supplementary Air Purifiers: Commodore Sloat, Aptos, James Denman, AP Giannini, Lincoln

Slides for more information : 1. San Francisco: Our Disaster Shelters Aren't Ready, 2. Clean Air, Bright Minds