The following articles appeared in the American School Board Journal. American School Board Journal (ASBJ) is an award-winning education magazine published four times per year in February, April, August, and October by the National School Boards Association. Founded in 1891, ASBJ chronicles change, interprets issues, and offers readers — some 90,000 school board members and school administrators — practical advice on a broad range of topics pertinent to school governance and management, equity, policymaking, student achievement, and the art of school leadership.
August 2026
Facilities Management Plays Key Role in Healthy Learning Environments
April 2026
February 2026
October 2025
Magna Awards Focus on Indoor Air Quality and Energy Efficiency
August 2025
April 2025
Students Learn Better with Clean Air
February 2025
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Indoor Air Quality: Why it matters
School indoor pollution is a particular concern because children take in more air in proportion to their body weight than adults. A child’s developing organ systems are often more sensitive to environmental stressors, and children are frequently more heavily exposed to toxic substances in the environment than adults... read more
Helping School Districts Manage IAQ
IAQ management might be the most effective and efficient strategy to help students concentrate in the classroom... read more
Check out this Webinar!! Building Resilient, Sustainable Schools
Climate resiliency is critical for schools facing wildfires, extreme heat, water scarcity, and energy grid stress. Learn how school districts in Maryland and Colorado are adopting innovative programs... read more
The Impact of Outdoor Air Quality on IAQ in Schools
Join us for a new webinar in our “Improving IAQ in Schools” series! We’ll be joined by the LA Unified School District and their research partner from USC as they discuss how they monitor outdoor air quality to make decisions about how to protect indoor air quality from external pollutants... read more
Boston Public Schools: A Model for Indoor Air Quality
The Boston Public Schools (BPS) have garnered international acclaim for their groundbreaking work in monitoring and managing Indoor Air Quality (IAQ). We're excited to highlight their success story and share valuable insights from their journey...read more
Unlock Funding for Your School District with the NSBA Magna Awards!
Good news for school districts looking to boost their sustainability efforts and gain recognition! Applications are now open for the NSBA Magna Awards, operating on a new points-based system with a maximum of 500 points available. Earning points for your district is as easy as 1-2-3!
Here's how your school district can maximize its chances...read more
Training That Improves Health and Recognition
When we think about student success, we often focus on curriculum, technology, or teacher development. But one of the most overlooked factors in education is something invisible: the quality of the air students and staff breathe every day...read more
IAQ in Schools: Protecting Students from Respiratory Illness This Winter
Every year, as the leaves change and the weather cools, school communities face a recurring challenge: the surge in respiratory illnesses that sweeps through classrooms during the fall and winter months. Influenza, RSV, COVID-19, and other respiratory infections thrive in these conditions — and schools, where students spend hours indoors in close contact, are especially vulnerable.
The stakes are high... read more
Creating Healthy Learning Environments: IAQ Strategies for Tribal Schools
Across the United States, thousands of children attend schools on Tribal lands—schools that face unique facility, funding and environmental-health challenges. The upcoming webinar in our Improving IAQ in Schools series will focus specifically on indoor air quality (IAQ) issues in Tribal schools: what IAQ is, why it matters in a school setting, the obstacles faced by Tribal schools, and the practical resources and strategies available to improve outcomes for students, teachers, and communities... read more
Go Green Radio
What School Plant Managers and Facilities Directors need to Manage IAQ in schools(opens in new tab)
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Professional school facilities management is a tough job, especially when education budgets are tight. Facilities Directors need support from the entire community in order to ensure school environments are optimized for learning. Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Management is a vital component of educational excellence, and it requires more than a well-trained Facilities Director. Tune into this episode with Ken Wertz, Executive Director, National School Plant Management Association (NSPMA), to learn about the budget, staffing, training, policy support, and more that Facilities Directors need in order to provide healthy indoor air for every student and staff member.
Lessons from the first U.S. school districts with real-time IEQ sensors in classrooms(opens in new tab)
New research from Boston University reveals challenges faced by school districts that were early adopters of collecting real-time indoor environmental quality (IEQ) data in classrooms. With aging buildings, rising temperatures, and limited budgets, school districts in the United States need effective strategies to address classroom environmental issues, secure funding for upgrades, and develop climate resilience plans. Collecting real-time indoor environmental quality (IEQ) data in classrooms can support these goals, yet few districts have adopted comprehensive school environmental monitoring, and little is known about the barriers and facilitators to its use. Understanding the value of this approach to ensure good environmental conditions inside schools, the challenges faced by early adopters, and strategies to overcome them will be essential for broader implementation.
Tune in as we speak with the authors of this new paper, Pilar Botana Martinez, PhD, and M Patricia Fabian, ScD.
Link to the Study(opens in new tab)
How Setty Transforms K‑12 Schools with High‑Impact MEP Engineering | Raj Setty(opens in new tab)
Get a fast, inside look at how Raj Setty(opens in new tab), President of Setty & Associates, leads one of the nation’s most innovative MEP engineering firms. With 10 offices and 200+ active projects, Setty delivers high‑performance solutions across healthcare, labs, universities, K‑12 schools, commercial buildings, and government sectors. In this rapid‑fire conversation, Raj breaks down Setty’s approach to energy modeling, commissioning, sustainable design, emergency preparedness, and forensic engineering—and how they’re shaping the future of institutional facilities.
Prevent Lung Cancer with Radon Testing(opens in new tab)
U.S. EPA and the Center for Disease Control urge all Americans to take Radon seriously. You can’t see, smell or taste radon, but it could be present at a dangerous level in your home or children’s school. Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer deaths among nonsmokers in America and claims the lives of about 21,000 Americans each year. In fact, the EPA and the U.S. Surgeon General urge all Americans to protect their health by testing their homes, schools and other buildings for radon. Today we’re joined by Zan Jones, VP of Sales and Marketing for Radonova, Inc. to discuss what you can do to protect your family from radon exposure. Click here for audio-only version.(opens in new tab)
New Report from American Lung Association on IAQ in Schools(opens in new tab)
The American Lung Association is pleased to share the Clean Air School Challenge report(opens in new tab) on state policies on indoor air quality (IAQ) in schools, A Win-Win for Lung Health: How Policies on Indoor Air Quality Make Schools Healthier and More Energy Efficient...click here for more(opens in new tab)
Change the Air Foundation
Tune in as we talk with Kendra Seymour, Vice-Chair & Co-Founder of Change the Air Foundation (501(c)(3)), about empowering families and schools to breathe safer indoor air through education, policy advocacy, and small-scale research...click here for more(opens in new tab)
Protecting Children from Extreme Heat in Schools(opens in new tab)
Schools in many parts of the U.S. are ill-equipped to deal with record-breaking heat during the school year, and that is adversely impacting student health and learning. Tune in as we speak with Autumn Burton, Senior Associate of Climate, Health, and Environment at the Federation of American Scientists, and Hailey Gibbs, Ph.D., associate director of Early Childhood Policy at the Center for American Progress, as we discuss how to protect children from extreme heat in schools...click here for more(opens in new tab)
Historic National Investment in Indoor Air Quality in Schools(opens in new tab)
Go Green Initiative's plans to dramatically increase the number of school districts with IAQ Management Plans throughout the country, and most importantly, how this will impact children’s health and ability to learn... click here for more(opens in new tab)
We Need Fresh Air: School Air Quality Seriously Impacts Students(opens in new tab)
Founded by Roger Silveira, We Need Fresh Air is an organization dedicated to improving student achievement one breath at a time... click here for more(opens in new tab)
Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) in Schools(opens in new tab)
EPA studies of human exposure to air pollutants indicate that indoor levels of pollutants may be two to five times — and occasionally more than 100 times — higher than outdoor levels. Some of the consequences of poor indoor air quality in schools are: increased long-and short-term health problems for students and staff; spread of airborne infectious diseases; degraded student learning environment, which affects comfort and attendance... click here for more(opens in new tab)
Boston Public Schools: Leader in the Green Schools Movement(opens in new tab)
Boston Public Schools (BPS) has a robust, comprehensive sustainability program that encompasses all aspects of a green, healthy school environment. Our guest today is Katherine Walsh, Sustainability, Energy, and Environment Program Director for BPS. She will discuss BPS’s approach to school sustainability and how other school districts can replicate their methodology... click here for more(opens in new tab)
45 Colorado Public School Districts to Monitor IAQ with Attune(opens in new tab)
Attune deployed its IAQ monitoring systems in 45 school districts and 369 school buildings across the state of Colorado. This CDC- funded initiative aims to improve IAQ environments in Colorado school districts for students, teachers and administrators... click here for more(opens in new tab)
The Center for Green Schools(opens in new tab)
Our guest today is Anisa Heming, Director of the Center for Green Schools, U.S. Green Building Council. The Center for Green Schools (CGS) launched in 2007 and is committed to a vision of green schools for every child. We will discuss what defines a green school and the many resources CGS has to aid schools on their journey to create healthy, sustainable learning spaces across the U.S... click here for more(opens in new tab)
