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Las Cruces Public Schools Implementing COVID Safety Measures

Walk into a Las Cruces Public Schools building, and it’s obvious things are a little different—partitions, shields and temperature checkpoints are just some of the measures the district is taking in the fight against COVID-19.

But the biggest change is one that can’t be seen at all.

Bobby Stout, the executive director of the district’s physical plant department, says MERV 13 air filters have been installed across the district, helping to ensure clean air in schools.  Mandated by the New Mexico Public Education Department, the upgraded filters remove 75% of particles between the size of 0.3 and 1.0 micrometers.

“It’s state-mandated now in every school throughout the state,” Stout said. “We placed an order back in September of last year, we are now at approximately 95% of all of our schools having MERV rated filters. In those classrooms that don't have filters, we're employing an air purification unit.”

Hermosa Heights Elementary Interim Principal John Coats is thankful for the increased safety measures, saying he wants kids to feel a sense of normalcy when they return to the classroom.

“We're doing the best that we can for your students, trying to get back into a new sense of normal and just educate our kids the best we can,” Coats said.

He outlined additional wellness measures, including daily temperature checks for both students and staff.  Anyone experiencing symptoms will be directed to an isolation room, designated spaces that have been constructed in all school buildings. Coats says anyone with a temperature of 100.4 or above will not be allowed to participate in classes. 

Isolation Room at Hermosa Heights Elementary

“When students are dropped off, temperature checks, [and] when they are exiting the school bus, if they ride the school bus,” Coats said. “Our walking students will be directed to the playground and we’ll have somebody there to check their temperature.”  

The district is also taking steps to deep clean school buildings. LCPS Physical Plant Director, Bobby Stout, stressed that cleaning measures are happening on a daily basis.

“Custodians are cleaning constantly throughout the day, specifically on our what we call high impact or high touch areas. That is the norm across the district,” Stout said. “We, what we call, deep clean twice a week with our electrostatic spray units. We have trained our custodians to electrostatically spray to help disinfect all of our classrooms and all of our facilities.”

Above all, Stout says his team is working hard to provide the safest experience possible for students.

“We in my department, at the physical plant, all custodians, all plant staff and all the staff at every school are doing everything that we can to create the safest environment for your child,” Stout said. “Knowing that our children go to our schools, my grandchildren go to our schools. So, it's all one big family trying to create this safe environment so that children can come back and be in school.”

The full LCPS COVID-19 Reporting and Response Plan can be found here.

Madison Staten was a Multimedia Reporter for KRWG Public Media from 2020-2022.