Impact of Air Quality in Schools
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.
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
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 Impact of Indoor Air Quality on Health and Indoor Air Quality and Asthma factsheets.
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. Studies show that when schools improve IAQ, it improves student performance and reduces absenteeism.
Download the Indoor Air Quality in Schools: Impact on Learning factsheet.
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 IAQ Impact on Teacher & School Staff factsheet.
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
Solutions
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.
Energy Efficient IAQ Management Plans are effective tools that schools can utilize to promote and maintain good IAQ and reduce energy use. Plans are a proactive approach to creating a safe, healthy and productive learning environment. Download the Energy Efficient IAQ Management Plan factsheet for more information.
The Clean Air School Challenge (CASC) is an engagement, recognition, training and technical assistance program aimed at empowering K-12 schools and districts nationwide to address IAQ.
Page last updated: May 6, 2025
