The Gloucester County School Board voted 7-0 Tuesday to request that county supervisors pass to it $1.697 million in federal funding that the school division is eligible for to help cover COVID-19-related needs.

The county would simply serve as the flow-through fiscal agent for the funds, according to division assistant superintendent Chuck Wagner.

The board also discussed the possible use for federal CARES Act funds that the county has available that must be spent by Dec. 30. Bryan Hartley, the division’s director of operations, recommended the division request $924,000 of the funds for the purchase of ionization units.

Hartley recommended 122 rooftop ionization units at $7,000 each and 100 interior units at $1,200 each. The rooftop units would total $854,000 and the interior units would be $120,000. Hartley said the units help to purify indoor air and the rooftop units work with existing HVAC equipment. He said the rooftop units could be removed and fitted to new HVAC units...