Choose the Best Infection Control in School Construction or Renovations

If you’re a facility manager in a school setting of any kind, you know all too well that construction and renovation projects can’t always wait for summer break. Repairs, upgrades, and renovations often must take place during the school year, with students and staff still in the building. For facility managers, that means a higher likelihood that construction dust and contaminants could wreak havoc on everyone inside the facility. 

When you’re opening walls, doing demolition, taking down ceiling panels, and other standard construction or renovation tasks, debris is inevitable. But, more importantly, the dust, debris, and other particles don’t stay in one place. They travel through air vents, sneak into hallways, and settle where they shouldn’t. And when air quality drops, so does student focus, safety, and health. You need a solution like modular wall systems that keeps things running and keeps your facility protected.

Temporary Wall Barriers Keep Dust Where It Belongs

When construction and class time collide, the first line of defense is physical separation. Temporary wall barriers are a major upgrade from the usual quick fixes like plastic sheets and caution tape. They’re designed to create a strong, sealed barrier that keeps dust, debris, and noise contained to the work zone, so it doesn’t travel into learning environments.

These modular wall systems are ideal for high-traffic areas or spaces that remain active during construction, like hallways, entrances, and administrative offices. They go up quickly, stay securely in place, and make the job site look controlled and professional, not like a patchwork fix. And when paired with proper signage and negative air machines, they show parents, teachers, and district leaders that you’re doing things right.

If you’ve got multiple projects lined up throughout the year — or even overlapping work in different wings — these barriers can be reused, moved, and adapted. It’s a small investment that pays off in reduced complaints, better safety, and a smoother day-to-day experience for your school community.

Learn how to take back control of your facility with temporary wall systems here. 

STARC® Systems Offer Clean, Quiet Containment

For more complex or sensitive school projects, cheap wall barriers may not be enough. That’s where STARC Systems do their best work. These modular, sound-dampening panels are purpose-built for high-standard environments — like hospitals and schools — where both the look and the performance of your containment solution matter.

STARC modular wall systems reduce noise transfer by up to 50 decibels, which makes a real difference when students are taking tests just one room over. They’re also clean and solid in appearance — no flapping plastic or patchy drywall. That matters when your work is happening in front of families, visitors, and leadership. They want to see that you’re in control. STARC walls send that message loud and clear.

The real strength of STARC is in its flexibility. These panels can be set up in under an hour without tools, used again and again for different projects, and reconfigured as needed. That means fewer interruptions, fewer material costs, and a more efficient crew. Plus, they integrate easily with air filtration systems to help with dust and particulate control.

For school facility managers juggling tight timelines and limited space, STARC Systems are a smart, scalable solution.

Learn more about using STARC Systems for smart, clean containment here.

Anterooms Help Control the Air Itself

Even with good physical barriers, air doesn’t always stay where you want it. That’s why managing airflow is just as important as managing the job site. Anterooms help prevent contaminated air from escaping the work area and moving into clean, occupied parts of the building.

Anterooms are small, enclosed entry points that act as a buffer between construction and school activity. Workers enter and exit through the anteroom, reducing the chances of tracking debris into hallways or classrooms. When you pair an anteroom with a negative air machine, you can create a negative pressure zone in the work site. That means air flows into the area, not out of it, pulling dust and particles inward instead of letting them spread.

This setup is especially important in sensitive areas like nurses’ offices, cafeterias, and special education classrooms, where clean air can make the difference between healthy learning and missed school days. It also helps reassure teachers and parents that your team is prioritizing health and safety.

Find more ways to protect students during the school year here.

Plan Ahead with a Phased Construction Approach

One of the best ways to reduce infection risks during school construction is to think proactively. If you can schedule around school days and operating hours, a phased construction approach can help you limit the possibility of infection or irritation. A phased construction approach — where work is broken into stages to avoid high-traffic times or critical academic periods — can dramatically limit exposure to dust and debris.

By scheduling the noisiest or most disruptive work during breaks, weekends, or after hours, you help maintain a stable environment for students and staff. It also gives your team a chance to clean and reset between phases, keeping air quality in check.

Here are a few things to consider when planning construction phases:

• Prioritize projects near sensitive areas (like nurses’ offices and special ed classrooms) during school breaks.
• Use temporary barriers and CAPs to isolate one area at a time instead of disrupting multiple zones.
• Allow time between phases for cleaning, inspection, and rebalancing HVAC systems.

Infection Control as a Long-Term Strategy

Clean air isn’t just a nice-to-have. It’s part of how schools build trust, keep students healthy, and avoid disruptions. The more prepared you are, the smoother each project will go.

Tools like modular wall systems, STARC solutions, and anterooms aren’t just for emergencies. They’re part of a bigger, more strategic infection control plan. And with the right strategy, you can keep students learning and staff supported through every phase of construction.

Keep your school clean, safe, and ready for anything. Download our Ultimate Guide to Indoor Air Quality to get practical tips on how to manage air quality and containment during construction.