Regional Alternative School Strengthens Cleaning and Disinfection Regimen to Help Keep Students Motivated and in the Classroom

BLOOMINGTON, Ill., Jan. 10, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- In a continual commitment to provide our students with the means to succeed, Regional Alternative School (RAS) has invested in the Clorox^® Total 360^® System, to help keep students and staff healthy throughout the school year. RAS serves 288 students in central Illinois with three locations in Bloomington, Livingston and Pontiac. Since 1989, the school has provided educational services to students, grades 7-12, who are at-risk of dropping out of school. The Clorox^® Total 360^® System will add an additional layer of protection to safeguard school environments and help to keep illness-causing germs at bay.

From absenteeism to school closures, illnesses and infections can have a serious impact on schools and their communities. School districts are often the hardest hit by illnesses and outbreaks, with an estimated 38 million school days lost each year due to cold and flu alone.¹ To better contribute to a successful environment for at-risk students, RAS proactively invested in the Clorox^® Total 360^® System as an additional measure to maximize surface disinfection, protect students' health and minimize reasons for nonattendance.

"We want to see all of our students succeed and that means shortening the stack for them where we can," said Bryan Kendall, Principal of RAS. "Ensuring we provide the most hygienic facility possible is one step we're taking to mitigate obstacles and barriers for students. The Clorox^® Total 360^® System helps us maintain our campus easily and efficiently and has allowed us to carry out our pledge to create a healthy learning environment for our students."

The Clorox^® Total 360^® System uses a revolutionary patented electrostatic delivery system, enabling RAS to carry out quick and comprehensive cleanings with superior surface coverage. The system works by charging and atomizing the Clorox^® disinfecting or sanitizing solution, distributing a powerful flow of the charged particles that are attracted to surfaces with a force stronger than gravity. This allows the solution to easily reach and uniformly coat surfaces, including germ hotspots like the sides, underside, and backside of surfaces, where trigger spray methods might easily miss. The system uses 65% less solution than a trigger sprayer and covers up to 18,000 square feet per hour.

The investment in the Clorox^® Total 360^® System has also allowed us to support our students by providing work at our school. As a part of our "Alt to Action" program to empower youth and facilitate meaningful learning opportunities for children, RAS is providing afterschool, paid employment positions to interested high school students on our custodial team.

"We at Regional Alternative School want our students to take ownership and make the school their own," said Mark Rudicil, Facilities Manager and Student Success Coach at RAS. "Hiring our students part-time to maintain their classrooms is preparing them for real world responsibilities."

RAS currently uses the Clorox^® Total 360^® System to treat a wide range of frequently shared spaces across its campus, its Regional Office of Education and educational buildings, including classrooms, administrative offices, restrooms and hallways. In addition, if high rates of sickness are reported, the team can now quickly treat the affected areas without the risk of cross contamination. "With about 20,000 square feet of campus to cover, our team has relied on the Clorox^® Total 360^® System to disinfect more surfaces in less time, with more confidence. We are implementing it on a regular basis, as well as in acute illness situations to help us rapidly respond to and prevent germ spread," added Rudicil.

To learn more about the Clorox^® Total 360^® System, visit www.CloroxTotal360.com. 

About Regional Alternative School
Believing that all students are capable of change, the mission of RAS is to provide students with high quality, innovative, and relevant education, in a safe and positive learning environment that allows all students to identify their goals to achieve personal success. This mission is obtained through partnering with parents/guardians and the community to provide academic, vocational and technical opportunities.

¹ "How Dirty is Your Child's School?" ISSA, 2018. Retrieved from: https://www.issa.com/certification-standards/clean-standard-k-12/how-dirty-is-your-childs-school-infographic.html. (Accessed Dec. 9, 2018).

SOURCE Regional Alternative School