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Case Studies

Resources for Schools

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Schools and school districts across the nation are reaping the benefits of improved indoor air quality by successfully implementing the IAQ Tools for Schools (TfS) Action Kit and Program. EPA developed these case studies describing the experiences and processes associated with implementing good IAQ strategies and practices. Each school profiled has overcome different barriers -- financial, legal, managerial, health-related, or community-related -- through teamwork and with a strong commitment to providing a healthy learning environment for students and staff. Help others learn from your experiences!  If you have an IAQ story to share, please contact Ms. Jennifer Lemon lemon.jennifer@epa.gov at (202) 343-9608.

Case Studies by Topic

Communicating About Indoor Air Quality

Communicating with staff, parents, students, administrators, the school board, media, the community, and all other stakeholders is an essential component of resolving indoor air quality issues. Effective communication can help to gain support from key decision makers, strengthen community relations, and reassure staff and parents that the district is making the effort to maintain a clean and safe environment. This case study highlights three schools that received a 2003 IAQ TfS Excellence Award in part for their exemplary and proactive communications. These schools include Cle Elum-Roslyn High School, Cle Elum, Washington; Radnor Township School District, Wayne, Pennsylvania; and Blue Valley Unified School District #229, Overland Park, Kansas. Each school has utilized different avenues to communicate proactively about their IAQ programs and to ensure that all staff, students, parents, and other stakeholders are aware of current activities concerning the school environment. Even when not responding to a crisis situation, schools can (and are encouraged to) communicate about proactive IAQ policies that are in place. This assures the school community that the district has active policies to maintain good indoor air quality and to prevent problems.

Cleaning Products

Many cleaning products contain a variety of toxic chemicals that can cause skin irritation and heighten allergic sensitivities. Cleaning products are a common source of pollutants in schools that contribute to poor indoor air quality. Following recommended safety guidelines for the proper use and storage of chemicals and using products that are less toxic can help schools to create and maintain a safer and healthier learning environment for students and staff. This case study highlights three schools that received a 2003 IAQ TfS Excellence Award in part for implementing environmentally friendly cleaning practices. These districts include Bellingham School District, Bellingham, Washington; Radnor Township School District, Wayne, Pennsylvania; and Adams 12 Five Star Schools, Thornton, Colorado. Each school has realized the benefit of using “green” cleaning products and has implemented cleaning and housekeeping policies to ensure a safer and healthier learning environment.

Mold

Mold is a common concern for many schools, not only those in humid areas. Mold outbreaks have led to many school closings and relocations across the country because of the variety of adverse health effects that can result from exposure to mold spores. This case study highlights four school districts that received a 2003 IAQ TfS Excellence Award in part for their exemplary efforts to improve IAQ by managing mold growth. These districts include Blue Valley Unified School District #229, Overland Park, Kansas; Waterford Public Schools, Waterford, Connecticut; Salt Lake City School District, Salt Lake City, Utah; and The School District of Palm Beach County, West Palm Beach, Florida. Each school has experienced a mold problem and has implemented effective and proactive procedures to address the problem, prevent future problems from occurring, and ensure that all staff know what mold is and how to identify it.

Ventilation

Inadequate ventilation, dirty drip pans or coils, and old or malfunctioning systems are common causes of poor indoor air quality in schools. Increasing the amount of fresh air intake can help to diffuse polluted indoor air. In addition, voluntary industry standards are in place to ensure that sufficient clean air is provided for the number of occupants in a particular building. This case study highlights six schools that received a 2003 IAQ TfS Excellence Award in part for their proactive policies and procedures to ensure good IAQ with proper ventilation. These districts include Volusia County School Board, Daytona Beach, Florida; Blue Valley Unified School District #229, Overland Park, Kansas; Rochester Public Schools, Rochester, Minnesota; Salt Lake City School District, Salt Lake City, Utah; Adams 12 Five Star Schools, Thornton, Colorado; and Clovis Unified School District, Clovis, California. Each of these school districts have experienced IAQ problems resulting from poorly maintained ventilation systems or inadequate air circulation. Each district has established policies and procedures to ensure that the ventilation system operates effectively and efficiently and provides the necessary clean air intake and circulation. Keeping the ventilation system and filters clean and ensuring the recommended exchange of clean air can help to improve the overall IAQ in buildings.

Case Studies by School
 

William Blackstone Elementary School, Boston Public Schools, Boston, Massachusetts

William Blackstone Elementary School is located in Boston's South End and is one of 120 schools in the Boston Public School System. The school was built in 1975 and had a history of IAQ and health-related problems, specifically high rates of asthma. Blackstone Elementary was one of three schools selected to pilot EPA's Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools (IAQ TfS) Kit and Program in 1999. School staff formed a team and met monthly between January and June. They conducted a walkthrough of every area of the school with the district ventilation engineer and used checklists to identify problems. Using the information reported in the checklists, the team identified specific solutions to the problems. The Kit provided the team with leverage for recommending building improvements to district administrators. With support and approval of funding from district staff and the school principal, Blackstone Elementary has completed several improvement projects, and they have scheduled several longer term projects to improve the building environment. William Blackstone Elementary School received EPA’s IAQ TfS Excellence Award in 2000 in recognition of their achievements with implementing the IAQ TfS Kit and completing improvement projects.

Burlington High School, Burlington School District, Burlington, Massachusetts

Starting in the mid 1980s, the Burlington Board of Health routinely received complaints from parents and staff about Burlington High School. The complaints included chemical odors, stale air, and increased incidence of allergies, sinusitis, and asthma. In the fall of 1996, the Board of Health responded to complaints by conducting a survey of the school, which included taking measurements of carbon dioxide concentrations, humidity, and temperature in about 50 classrooms. In February 1997, the Board of Health held a public hearing to present results of the school survey and to learn more about IAQ issues in the school. Following the meeting, the school assembled an IAQ team, including parents and staff. The team used the IAQ TfS Kit, checklists, and strategies for investigating the building. Public awareness and concerns expressed by staff and parents encouraged the school board to approve funds to correct the IAQ problems identified by the team. The school has since addressed all problems originally identified and has established a proactive IAQ management program to ensure IAQ problems are identified and corrected promptly.

Chicopee Public Schools, Chicopee, Massachusetts

In the fall of 1996, a series of events led Chicopee Public Schools to begin implementing the IAQ Tools for Schools Program. At that time, a teacher began experiencing respiratory problems, which she attributed to an indoor environmental problem in her classroom. She took her complaints to the Chicopee Education Association (the teachers' association) and the Western Massachusetts Coalition on Occupational Safety and Health (Western MassCOSH). Some Chicopee representatives attended a meeting where a Western MassCOSH representative spoke about IAQ issues in schools. The Chicopee representatives relayed this information to the Chicopee Education Association leadership, who arranged a meeting with Western MassCOSH to describe some of the schools’ problems. Western MassCOSH representatives then approached Chicopee Public Schools to discuss implementing the IAQ TfS Program. In early 1997, Chicopee formed a district-wide IAQ team and participated in IAQ TfS training provided by Western MassCOSH. The team met with each district school to explain the Program. This opened the lines of communication among teachers and maintenance staff, which helped identify, report, and address problems more effectively. Since implementing this process, Chicopee has made substantial improvements to the environmental and safety conditions in its schools. These successes earned them an IAQ TfS Excellence Award from EPA in 2001.

G.W. Carver and Charles Drew Elementary Schools, San Francisco Unified School District, San Francisco, California

G.W. Carver and Charles Drew Elementary Schools are part of the San Francisco Unified School District. G.W. Carver is located in the Bayview/Hunters Point Community, a suburb of San Francisco. Beginning in early 1998, an overwhelming number of students began visiting the school nurse for inhaler use. The school principal learned that Bayview/Hunters Point residents had much higher rates of asthma and other respiratory illnesses than people living in other areas of the city. The school nurse was already working with the American Lung Association’s Open Airways Program and participating in asthma training courses. G.W. Carver and Charles Drew elementary schools were selected by EPA to participate in the pilot project to implement the IAQ TfS Program. The two schools formed a joint IAQ team and worked with EPA and expert IAQ consultants to conduct building walkthroughs, identify problems that were affecting school air quality, make low-cost improvements, develop and adopt a comprehensive IAQ policy, and implement several long-term practices and policies that included forming the Asthma Task Force and IAQ Policy Implementation Committee. By partnering with several local and state organizations and by garnering support and direct involvement from key school decision makers, these schools experienced great success improving asthma management and IAQ. EPA honored the District’s Implementation Committee for their leadership with a Special Achievement award in August 2002.

Fairgrounds Junior High School, Nashua School District, Nashua, New Hampshire

Fairgrounds Junior High School underwent renovations between 1996 and 1997 to correct indoor air quality problems identified by the local health department. In May 1997, teachers came forward with IAQ-related complaints. To correct these problems, school facilities staff adjusted the energy management system shortly before school closed for the summer. However, when school reopened in early September, complaints about temperature, discomfort, and odors resurfaced, along with complaints of dizziness and tingling sensations in the extremities. School officials became concerned that much broader IAQ problems existed and decided to pilot the IAQ Tools for Schools Program in Fairgrounds Junior High School. The school principal and two teachers presented the Program at a staff meeting and recruited volunteers to form an IAQ team. The team distributed a health survey to teachers and staff at a faculty meeting and requested information on health problems experienced during work hours. The IAQ TfS Kit, health survey, and formal investigations helped the team to identify the problems. Since Fairgrounds implemented the Program in 1997, several more district schools have implemented the IAQ TfS Program. EPA honored Nashua School District with an IAQ TfS Excellence Award in 2001.

King-Murphy Elementary School, Clear Creek School District, Evergreen, Colorado

King-Murphy Elementary School is part of the Clear Creek School District and is located in Evergreen, Colorado, about 30 miles west of Denver. King-Murphy first implemented the IAQ Tools for Schools Program in October 1998 and formed a steering committee to address the variety of IAQ concerns that the school was experiencing. From the start, King-Murphy has involved students in the process of investigating and reporting potential IAQ problems. With encouragement from the District superintendent, students work with teachers, the head custodian, and principal to complete checklists and report what they learn. Following a walkthrough in January 1999, the school developed and implemented several policies and preventive maintenance practices that have helped the school to enhance overall building maintenance. In 2000, EPA awarded King-Murphy Elementary one of the first IAQ TfS Excellence Awards in recognition of their proactive and successful approaches to managing IAQ.

Little Harbour School, Portsmouth School Department, Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Little Harbour School is one of only five schools in the Portsmouth (New Hampshire) School Department. The school nurse first raised concerns about potential indoor air quality problems when she noticed high absenteeism rates among students and staff. She had also received several reports from students and staff of respiratory problems, chronic bronchitis, and sinusitis. In October 1996, the New Hampshire Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health (NHCOSH) involved the school in a pilot IAQ program. With technical assistance from an engineer and industrial hygienist provided by NHCOSH, school staff conducted walkthroughs to identify, organize, and prioritize IAQ problems, the biggest of which was the ventilation system. The school made several immediate low-cost changes to resolve smaller problems that were affecting IAQ. Over time, they have made many larger scale IAQ upgrades to improve the ventilation system and the overall cleanliness of the building. EPA honored Little Harbour School with an IAQ TfS Excellence Award in 2001 in recognition of their continuing accomplishments to address IAQ concerns.

Okaloosa County School District, Fort Walton Beach, Florida

In 1992, Okaloosa County School District officials began receiving complaints about dizziness, shortness of breath, and headaches from students and staff at a rural school in the northern part of the county. Public concerns were raised when the media became involved in the situation. Over the next several years, stories were written and broadcast about poor indoor air quality and associated health hazards, especially as they pertained to this school. Media coverage included a segment on 60 Minutes and negative press coverage from several Florida news stations. These events led School Board members to realize that the District needed a proactive, organized process for evaluating and managing IAQ in schools district wide. The District appointed an IAQ Coordinator and formed a well-rounded IAQ committee of staff who worked with a mechanical engineer and industrial hygienist to identify problem areas and establish a formal plan for addressing IAQ problems. In 1996, the school board adopted the IAQ TfS Program district wide as suggested by the committee. Incorporating components from the Kit helped to add structure and credibility to the existing IAQ management program. Since 1996, Okaloosa has made several improvements to the building environment using policies and procedures the committee established to ensure problems are addressed promptly and effectively. Okaloosa County School District was one of the first Districts to receive EPA’s IAQ TfS Excellence Award in 2000.

Robert K. Shafer Middle School, Bensalem Township School District, Bensalem, Pennsylvania

This case study highlights the experiences of Robert K. Shafer Middle School with implementing the IAQ TfS Program. Shafer Middle School, located in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, was built in the late 1970s and underwent a major renovation in the 1998 school year. Shafer Middle School began implementing the IAQ TfS Kit in 1998. The school formed an IAQ team, led by the Environmental Affairs Manager, and conducted two walkthroughs to identify IAQ problems and test for humidity, noise, and radon levels. Teachers completed checklists four times a year and reported concerns that required follow-up action. Using the information collected in the checklists, the IAQ team was able to respond to complaints and address problems quickly. Guidance offered in the IAQ TfS Kit helped Shafer Middle School implement a successful IAQ management program, communicate the IAQ program and planned projects, and gain buy-in from district administrators. EPA presented the school with an IAQ TfS Excellence Award in 2000 in recognition of their strategic approach to implement the IAQ TfS Program and their successes improving IAQ and related health concerns.

Shamona Creek Elementary School, Downingtown Area School District, Downingtown, Pennsylvania

Shamona Creek Elementary School, constructed on 63 acres of former farmland, opened in 1990. The metal roof initially brought indoor air quality issues to the attention of school personnel, as it leaked profusely due to improper installation. The plywood and insulation under the roof absorbed excess moisture and became saturated with mildew and mold. This led to severe indoor moisture problems, including mildew and mold on books, furniture, and walls throughout the school. By 1994, school officials had received numerous complaints associated with indoor air quality, primarily regarding odor and mildew. Several quick-fix solutions produced minimal results with no long-term improvements. Since Shamona Creek was not the only school in the District dealing with indoor air quality problems, school officials decided to pilot the IAQ Tools for Schools Program in Shamona Creek and two other elementary schools in 1998. The District Facilities Department, with assistance from EPA Region 3 staff, distributed checklists at each school, conducted a walkthrough of each school, identified problems, and prioritized improvements. Shamona Creek sustains a proactive IAQ management program using guidance provided in the Kit that has helped to reduce staff complaints from one per month in 1997 to only three each year.

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