Touchless sink faucets, toilet valves could be installed in District 303 schools

St. Charles Unit District 303 is considering plans to install touchless fixtures throughout school buildings to help prevent cross-contamination when classes resume in the fall.

The school board is expected to vote July 13 on a $391,540 contract with Key Construction Group to provide the materials for automatic toilet flush valves and sink faucets.

The contractor would install the new faucets in classrooms and bathrooms before school starts - a top priority for the district, said Seth Chapman, assistant superintendent for business services. Updates to toilets and urinals are expected to be completed in-house through the beginning of the academic year, he said, noting those changes, though still important, aren't as urgent.

Also up for a vote is a proposal to add more water bottle fillers, with a goal of having one close to each classroom, Chapman said. At $87,650, JL Wagner Plumbing & Piping submitted the lowest of three bids to complete that project.

The district has yet to decide whether to shut down regular drinking fountains, which can remain in operation under state guidelines but should be cleaned after each use, said John Baird, assistant superintendent for operations. The water bottle filler provides a more sanitary alternative.

Exactly where and how many touchless fixtures are slated for installation is "building dependent," Chapman said. Many district facilities - especially those that are newer or have been recently renovated - are already equipped with automatic valves, faucets and water bottle fillers.

"It was always our plan to increase the number of each of those items in our schools," he said. "The current situation has accelerated our timeline."

Other goals include ensuring each restroom has at least one touchless soap dispenser, Chapman said, as well as creating three hand-washing stations in each classroom: sinks, automatic hand sanitizing dispensers and bottled sanitizer. Some urinals and stalls also are expected to be blocked off to maintain social distancing in bathrooms.

The touchless fixtures are among several prevention methods school officials expect to implement as part of the district's "reopen school plan."

The district has formed a special task force comprising more than 100 staff members, parents, students and community members. The task force has been broken into committees to address instruction, social/emotional well-being, building health and safety, transportation and food service, communication, and staffing and human resources.

"There are so many nuances and decisions that have to be made as we process through this work and how it impacts each and every area of our district," Superintendent Jason Pearson said. "We want to ensure that we put a plan together that is solid from a perspective of protecting the health and safety of our students and staff, but we also want to ensure that we are able to provide as much instructional continuity as possible."