Richmond Elementary School
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— — The best way to reach healthy air targets is with a combination of building ventilation and effective in-room filtration, —
The one air purifier originally assigned to —‘s rooms is — Two or more air purifiers per classroom can substantially improve air quality, reduce respiratory viruses and air pollutants, and achieve effective air cleaning, while running at quiet settings.
Two air purifiers are needed in — to more effectively clean the air. That’s why the Oregon Health Authority provided additional free air purifiers for — in 2023. — — To connect and support next steps for clean classroom air at —, join our — group, and learn more about —‘s air quality below.
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If no air purifiers are running:
✘ Coughs and sneezes in the typical Richmond classroom linger and hang in the air for over 2 hours 32 minutes
The median rate of airflow from the HVAC system to classrooms at — is only — — per hour.*
At — — per hour, — to clear out 90% of the respiratory aerosols being produced when — and staff breathe, talk, sing, cough and sneeze. —
But the median does not show how bad the lowest-ventilation rooms are …
✘ Classroom with the lowest ventilation: 107
— — per hour
With airflow this low, how long do —’ and staff’s viruses linger in room —’s air?
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✘ Without air purifiers, 22 more Richmond classrooms have less than 2 air changes per hour
At 2 air changes per hour, it takes the HVAC system 1 hour and 9 minutes to clear 90% of the respiratory aerosols.
No classrooms meet our minimum health-based airflow target for the HVAC system alone — no classrooms have ventilation providing 6 air changes per hour or more, clearing 90% of aerosols in 23 minutes or less.
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About these ventilation measurements
These numbers come from airflow testing done in nearly every room of every PPS building, before the district resumed in-person learning in 2021. We carefully reviewed the district’s results, compiled and maintain a districtwide database from the airflow reports, and corrected gaps and errors in the data so that classroom ventilation and filtration are represented accurately. Our analyses provide ventilation rates from the HVAC system alone and show how total clean airflow increases when in-room air purifiers are used.
To learn more about the district airflow testing and how SIAFOS corrected the data, see this excerpt adapted from our McDaniel High School Air Quality Report: District airflow measurements & SIAFOS analyses. For the full room-by-room values, corrections, and calculations for this school, see .
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With only one air purifier per classroom, Richmond classrooms still lack clean air:
Although the — air purifiers originally assigned to —. Even with an — air purifier running at its reasonable noise level (—), —. With room — at — — per hour, —’ and staff’s viruses in their respiratory aerosols linger for ——.
At — —/hour, — is how long it takes for the HVAC system and — air purifier to clear out 90% of the respiratory aerosols being produced when — and staff breathe, talk, sing, cough and sneeze.
With only one air purifier per classroom:
✘ Worst-airflow classroom (room 107) is still less than 2 air changes per hour
✘ 15 more Richmond classrooms have less than 2 air changes per hour
✘ 6 classrooms are between 2 and 3 air changes per hour & 6 more are between 3 and 6 – all below recommendations
If one Intellipure unit is running at its quiet noise level, no classrooms meet our minimum goal for healthy ventilation and filtration, to clear 90% of aerosols out in 23 minutes or less. No classrooms' combination of clean airflow from the HVAC system and one air purifier provides 6 air changes per hour or more.
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With the two air purifiers per classroom placed and in use, classrooms get much closer to the minimum healthy air target, and 21 percent of Richmond classrooms reach a much improved 5 air changes per hour.
With two of the air purifiers the district already owns running at their best noise levels (one — at — and one Medify Pro at speed 2), — classrooms would be at 6 air changes per hour or higher. —. Viruses, mold spores, dust and allergens, wildfire smoke, and other air pollutants would clear out by 90% in as little as — minutes.
The median clean airflow with two air purifiers per classroom would be — air changes per hour. At — air changes, —
Two air purifiers make a big difference — but some rooms still fall short
—For example, —‘s worst-airflow classroom — Room — — is — — per hour with two air purifiers. — the minimum healthy air target of 6, it is far better than the — — per hour the room gets with no air purifiers running.
Visualizing how much air purifiers improve Richmond classroom airflow
The graphs below show how — ventilation most — classrooms get without any air purifiers running. They also show how the addition of one air purifier per classroom shifts the rooms’ airflow rates higher — — —
Number of classrooms vs air changes per hour
No air purifiers
HVAC only
Most Richmond classrooms have extremely poor airflow without air purifiers running. Most classrooms do not even reach 3 air changes per hour from the HVAC system.
One air purifier
One Intellipure air purifier running at its reasonable noise level still leaves most classrooms with extremely poor airflow.
Two air purifiers
No classrooms have good levels of clean airflow with two air purifiers. All classrooms are still below 6, even with 2 units, but they get much better airflow with 2 units than they did with only one.
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— providing critical benefits of clean indoor air, such as reduced illness, improved learning, and better attendance.
— and using this clean air infrastructure needs action at all levels, from district leadership to the classroom. Parents, caregivers, and school staff also have key roles to play to — classrooms and ensure clean classroom air. Join SIAFOS and our — group to connect with others who care about clean, cool classroom air at —.
The data shows how — can improve air quality, reduce illness, and increase attendance
In our that corrects gaps in PPS’s airflow report, we have fixed errors and calculated classroom airflows with air purifiers running at speeds teachers can actually use.
Our airflow provides room-by-room airflows at — when rooms have no air purifiers, vs. one air purifier, vs. two air purifiers.
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Highlights from our comprehensive room-by-room analysis of — airflows
- With no air purifiers,
- —, — under 3 air changes per hour, — our minimum goal of 6 air changes per hour
Other SIAFOS analyses, reports, and campaigns
Learn more about indoor air quality in PPS with some of our other analyses, reports, and campaigns:
McDaniel High School Air Quality Report — our 144-page flagship report using the McDaniel cluster as a case study for districtwide problems, and solutions, for clean air
Benefits of Clean Indoor Air — improving air quality in PPS will increase student performance, reduce absences and educator sick days, improve health for students, staff, and surrounding communities, improve equity, and help mitigate impacts of climate change
Teacher Feedback on PPS’s Fall 2025 Temporary Cooling Measures — report on our survey of teachers in the 15 schools that received temporary cooling equipment in the fall 2025 heat wave
Sign-On Letter to Show Your Support for Clean Air in PPS — add your voice to our public letter calling for health-based ventilation and air quality in PPS
Airflow 101 Handouts: Understanding Airflow Sources in the Classroom and How Using Two Air Purifiers Allows Quiet Speed Settings
Poor airflow in — and other PPS schools is why we worked with parents across the district in spring 2023 to advocate that PPS classrooms need additional, high quality air purifiers to provide safe air to — now, when HVAC system overhauls will take the district years to do in all schools and a mix of ventilation from HVAC systems and in-room filtration is the best approach for clean classroom air in both newly modernized buildings and older buildings alike. Just as we were advocating to the school board for the need for additional filtration capacity in PPS classrooms, the Oregon Health Authority announced a program offering free Medify air purifiers to any K-12 schools in Oregon. When it became clear that district staff were not planning to sign up for any of the free air purifiers from OHA, . Parents from across the district joined SIAFOS in advocating that the district take full advantage of the program.
How can you help with clean air for —?
— — Sign up to help — and running quietly to keep — classroom air clean!
Two air purifiers running at quiet settings —! Using multiple air purifiers would also ensure —‘s —other key spaces get better air quality, too.
Join us to be part of a group of parents and community members advocating for strategic, effective, and science-based planning for sufficient ventilation and filtration capacity in PPS schools — including —. PPS air quality efforts have cycled between strong progress as well as periods of inaction and missteps. We are now working more collaboratively with district leadership, yet long-standing gaps in ventilation and air filtration persist across the district — which is why parent, staff, and community involvement at the classroom level, school level, and district level remains so important.
Changing our schools in PPS to have good air quality practices only happens when families and staff work together. When you join us, we’ll connect you with others and share simple processes that help PPS — and staff, including — and staff at —, learn and work in classrooms with cleaner air, less illness, and healthier learning environments. Sign up below to join our organizing for PPS air quality!
*Notes on our numbers
Air changes per hour given on this page are “equivalent” and include ventilation and filtration. These numbers are based on the district’s airflow report for —, conducted in August 2021 (available at safeairoregon.org/original-airflow-reports) but corrected gaps and errors.