Impact of Air Quality in Schools
Healthy school environments start with clean air. Poor indoor air quality can contribute to asthma symptoms, missed school days and reduced academic performance for students and staff.As many as one in six people in the U.S. spend their days inside school buildings. Clean air in schools is an important part of creating a healthy learning environment, but levels of pollutants are often two to five times higher indoors than outdoors. Teachers, administrators and other school staff all play a role in ensuring that students are healthy, comfortable and ready to learn.
Challenges Schools Face
Schools face special challenges in ensuring healthy indoor air. School buildings are crowded places. They may have four times as many occupants per square foot as office buildings. The multiple uses of school space, including classrooms, cafeterias, gyms, art rooms and labs mean many potential sources of indoor air problems. School budgets are often limited, which may affect regular maintenance and cleaning practices.
Poor IAQ Can Affect the Whole School Community
Indoor air quality (IAQ) problems at schools may result in:
- Lowered academic achievement, productivity and health outcomes
- Increased absenteeism of students and staff
- Costly repairs and subsequent school/room closures to address issues if maintenance and proactive measures are not taken
- Reduced efficiency of school buildings and equipment
- Negative publicity and damage to relationships among parents, teachers, and school administration
- Increased liability and risk
Impact of Indoor Air Quality on Learning
Poor indoor air quality in schools can negatively affect how children learn and harm their growing lungs. Poor IAQ in schools has been shown to cause student drowsiness, headaches, concentration problems and decreased academic performance. Schools with IAQ problems see higher absenteeism rates among both students and staff due to increased respiratory infections, allergic responses or adverse reactions to chemicals used in schools. When schools improve IAQ, it improves student performance and reduces absenteeism.
Download the Factsheet:
English: Indoor Air Quality in Schools: Impact on Learning (PDF)
Spanish: Calidad del aire interior en las escuelas Impacto en el aprendizaje (PDF)
Impact of Indoor Air Quality on Teachers & School Staff
Most of us spend 90% of our time indoors, and for those working in or attending school, much of that is spent in a school building. Common issues found in classrooms that contribute to poor IAQ include: air pollutants (mold, chemicals, dust, pests), poor air filtration, improper room pressurization or ventilation and problems with humidity and temperature. Poor IAQ can contribute to:
- Increase in severity and frequency of asthma and allergy symptoms
- Increased respiratory infections
- Reduced teacher and staff performance due to discomfort, sickness, or absences
- Increased staff dissatisfaction and turnover
- Increased stress regarding students’ health, absenteeism and performance
Download the Factsheet
English: IAQ Impact on Teacher & School Staff (PDF)
Spanish: Calidad del aire interior en las escuelas: Impacto en docentes y personal escolar (PDF)
Impact of Indoor Air Quality on Health
Airborne pollutants in the environment can negatively impact health. Indoor air pollutants can cause long and short-term health problems for children and adults such as:
- Coughing, sneezing and sinus congestion
- Eye, nose, throat and skin irritation
- Headaches, dizziness and fatigue
- Allergic reactions
- Worsened asthma, COPD and/or other respiratory illnesses
- In rare cases contribute to life-threatening conditions such as radon-induced lung cancer or carbon monoxide poisoning
Download the Factsheets
English:
Spanish:
Indoor Air Quality & Energy Efficiency
Energy use and indoor air quality (IAQ) intersect in many ways. Additionally, energy use is important for schools to understand because, after salaries, it is often the largest expense in a school’s budget.
10 Steps to Complete a School Energy Audit
Conducting an energy audit can help schools identify where to reduce energy use, which can in turn, help schools lower that expense. Use this simple checklist to guide a school energy audit as well as practical ways to engage middle and high school students in the process.
Download the Checklist (PDF)
Energy Efficiency Everyday
Engage school staff, teachers, and students in simple steps that can help reduce energy use. Print and hang the Energy Efficiency Everyday poster around areas of the school where energy decision points are made, such as light switches, thermostats, or in computer labs near power strips.
Download the Poster (PDF)
Benefits of Addressing Indoor Air Quality in Schools
Good indoor air quality helps to create a healthy learning environment and results in better health and learning outcomes. Studies have linked good indoor air quality in schools to a variety of positive outcomes, including:
- Reduced absenteeism
- Improved ability to perform and higher test scores
- Better teacher retention rates
- Reduced airborne transmission of respiratory infections like flu and COVID-19
Ready to Improve Indoor Air Quality?
Taking steps to address air quality issues in schools before they become a problem can make a big difference in the health and success of students, faculty and staff. Making even minor changes can have a large impact on health and learning.
Find Tools and Resources
Explore guides, assessment tools, management plan resources and trainings to help your school improve indoor air quality.
If you need more information before signing up or you want to be added to our school indoor air quality listserv to receive future program updates, resources and funding opportunities, contact CASC@Lung.org or fill out this interest form.
Page last updated: November 9, 2026
