Sanitizing Tech Expanded To All Cobb Schools Elementary Campuses

COBB COUNTY, GA — All 67 elementary schools within Cobb County Schools will receive two new sanitizing technologies as soon as possible, following a 4-2 vote at the school board work session Dec. 17. This initiative is part of the district's continued response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Superintendent Chris Ragsdale requested up to $12 million for hand-sanitizing machines from 3Oe Scientific and ProTek Life's Cleanz254, which is a low-voltage ultraviolet light that sterilizes classrooms overnight. 3Oe Scientific's hand sanitizer, Iggy, use a specially-designed spray of water and incorporates a low concentration of aqueous ozone — which can neutralize bacteria and viruses. ProTek Life claims the UV frequency used in the Cleanz254 kills 99.99 percent of microbes.

"I think these are greatly-needed tools," Ragsdale said during the work session. "We know the decision to go virtual today and tomorrow ... quite possibly we could've avoided that at the elementary level, but time will tell."

Ragsdale said he hoped to use money from a second federal stimulus package for these sanitizing technologies, but since that has not been approved by Congress, he wanted to purchase the technology during winter break.

"I truly expected the next stimulus package to have been passed before now. Unfortunately, that's not the case," Ragsdale said during the work session. "It has delayed the much-needed assistance that the stimulus package was aimed to provide."

The board approved his request for up to $12 million, but that does not mean all $12 million will be used for installation of the two sanitizing devices, Ragsdale said. The money will come out of unassigned dollars within the district's general fund balance — and as soon as the next stimulus package is approved and any money to Cobb County Schools are received, that fund balance would be replenished.

"I do feel like time is of the essence. I feel like we need to take advantage of the holiday break, Christmas break that we're rapidly approaching that starts after tomorrow," he said. "We will first replenish whatever funds we have utilized up to that point from fund balance before moving ahead with any other purchases."

However, board members Charisse Davis and Jaha Howard voted against the measure. Howard cited concerns about using taxpayer dollars for technologies without seeing much hard data about the results of these technologies.

"We know that there's very low-tech ways of fighting this virus: mask wearing and washing with just plain soap and water, so I am very concerned about using taxpayer money for these COVID technologies when we have not seen any studies, particularly peer-reviewed studies," Howard said during the work session. "In that vein, I am very curious if the [Cobb-Douglas Public Health] have any input into these items that we are piloting."

Ragsdale said he has had conversations with the public health department throughout this process, and "anything that can improve the health and safety in the classroom is on the table."

Installation of the new sanitizing technologies will begin immediately.