The Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council released a series of fact sheets with strategies for improving indoor air quality (IAQ) in schools. The IAQ Fact Sheet Series is designed to help people without a technical background—such as school board members, teachers, and parents—to understand details about IAQ so that they can make important decisions for their schools.
While schools across the country are debating important public health measures to help curb the spread of COVID-19, IAQ measures offer a non-controversial way to take concrete action to increase protection for everyone in schools. In response to feedback from teachers, parents, school board members, and others about the confusing messages they’re getting about IAQ strategies, the Center for Green Schools brought together dozens of experts to create simple straightforward resources about the most pressing topics.
Studies have shown that good IAQ and proper ventilation in schools can improve the health of students, teachers, and staff, potentially decreasing sick days and also improving student learning.
“Indoor air quality in schools has a real impact on students’ health and ability to learn in the classroom,” said Anisa Heming, director of the Center for Green Schools. “The IAQ Fact Sheet Series provides educators, parents, and other members of the community simple and straightforward resources to understand indoor air quality strategies and use that information to take concrete action for their students.”
When combined with other best practices recommended by the Center for Disease Control, such as masks, physical distancing, and hand-washing, proper air ventilation and filtration protects staff and students from indoor airborne contaminants such as COVID-19.
Earlier this year, the Center for Green Schools released survey results from school districts across the country about how they have implemented air quality measures during the pandemic. The survey found that the majority of schools have acted to address air quality, but they struggled with outdated infrastructure and high costs.
With the passage of the American Rescue Plan and ongoing negotiations of a national infrastructure bill, school districts across the country have an enormous opportunity to improve and invest in school infrastructure and address persistent inequalities, according to the Center for Green Schools. The fact sheet series, supported through a grant from Flu Lab, aims to give community advocates and school decision-makers clear information to act in support of student health and to direct funding to positively impact all students.
The series currently includes an overview, as well as four specific fact sheets:
- Overview: Build a foundation by understanding your HVAC system, if you have one, and which IAQ strategies might work for your classrooms.
- Ventilation: Get a better understanding of the interaction between ventilation and other strategies and how to use what you have to get healthier classrooms.
- HVAC filtration : Get the facts about how filters work and their actual effectiveness in preventing the spread of COVID.
- In-room air cleaners: Sort out the noise about when to use an in-room air cleaner and how to choose one that works for your classrooms.
- Germicidal UV (GUV, or UVGI): Understand the three most common types of UVGI systems and what to know about using them in schools.
The entire series is available for download here.