South Coast AQMD is providing up to $1.1 million in incentive funds to install and maintain air filtration units at over 200 private K-12 schools and private daycares, including preschools within AB 617 Communities. AB 617 was signed into California law in July 2017 and focuses on addressing local air pollution impacts in select environmental justice communities. These communities include Eastern Coachella Valley; East Los Angeles, Boyle Heights, West Commerce; San Bernardino, Muscoy; Southeast Los Angeles; South Los Angeles; and Wilmington, Carson, West Long Beach. Installations are expected to continue through Fall 2023.

Selected private schools and daycares will receive one or more high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) air filtration units and five years of replacement filters. These air filtration units reduce children’s exposure to fine particulate matter (PM) and toxic diesel Particulate Matter (DPM) air pollutants while indoors.

The project is funded by a California Air Resources Board (CARB) Supplemental Environmental Project (SEP). SEPs are community-based projects funded by penalties resulting from the settlement of enforcement actions. South Coast AQMD accepted applications from private K-12 schools and daycares in Summer 2022 for air filtration units and notified selected schools in January 2023. Additional projects are underway to provide air filtration within public schools in many communities in the South Coast Basin. In addition, South Coast AQMD staff is committed to working with communities and CARB to identify future opportunities for air filtration funding. For more information about air filtration and other funding opportunities in AB 617 Communities, visit our Community Air Protection Program (CAPP) - Incentives webpage.