Creating Healthy Learning Environments: IAQ Strategies for Tribal Schools

(part of the “Improving IAQ in Schools” series - https://GoGreenInitiative.org/webinars-IAQ)

Webinar Date/Time: Nov. 18, 2025 | 11 a.m. Pacific / 2 p.m. Eastern
Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_osLBJURdSIqilPstg8xXOw

By James Cooper

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.

Why IAQ Matters in Schools

Children spend a large portion of their day inside school buildings. Poor indoor air quality—caused by inadequate ventilation, mold or moisture intrusion, outdated HVAC systems, combustion by-products, and more—can have tangible impacts on health, attendance, and learning. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) notes that children’s developing organ systems are more sensitive to environmental stressors, and that they breathe more air per unit of body weight than adults.

From case studies in Tribal communities, improved IAQ has been associated with fewer asthma and allergy triggers, reduced absenteeism, and cleaner, healthier spaces for students and staff. For example, in the From Home to School study, children in Tribal settings experienced an increase of approximately 1.9–2.5 symptom-free days over a 4-week period after targeted cleaning and asthma-trigger mitigation interventions.

In school settings, better facility condition, ventilation, and air-quality management correlate with improved performance and health. Yet, nearly two-thirds of districts serving students in Tribal communities report at least one building in poor condition, often needing major repairs or full replacement of systems like HVAC, plumbing, or roofing.

Healthy air supports healthy students and healthy teachers—and in Tribal communities, that connection is amplified by infrastructure, geographic, and resource constraints.

Unique Challenges Facing Tribal Schools

Tribal schools often face a convergence of structural, geographic, and funding barriers that complicate IAQ improvement efforts:

1. Aging InfrastructureMany Bureau Of Indian Education (BIE) Or Tribal schools suffer from outdated or failing systems. A Federal review found longstanding maintenance backlogs and incomplete repairs at many BIE-funded facilities.
2. Remote / Rural Location
   Many Tribal schools are located in remote regions, complicating access to maintenance expertise, parts, and vendor support. Outdoor-air Issues (wildfire smoke, wood/coal smoke infiltration, radon) can also affect indoor air. On the Navajo Nation, for example, indoor PM₂.₅ levels in homes and schools were found to exceed ambient U.S. standards, highlighting widespread ventilation and combustion issues.
3. Limited Funding & Technical Resources
   Given smaller tax bases, legacy under-funding, and competing facility priorities, many Tribal schools struggle to allocate resources for IAQ monitoring or HVAC upgrades. The National Tribal Air Association (NTAA) found that comprehensive data on Tribal IAQ needs is sparse and that many tribes face resource constraints for training, monitoring, and mitigation.
4. Complex Governance And Sovereignty Considerations
   Facility decisions, environmental monitoring, and resource allocation in Tribal communities often involve multiple jurisdictions—Tribal governments, BIA/BIE, and outside partners. Successful tribal IAQ programs are rooted in culturally informed and community-driven governance.

Because of these intersecting challenges, standard “school IAQ” approaches often need adaptation for Tribal contexts—and that’s exactly what the November 18 webinar will address.

What the Webinar Will Cover

This webinar is designed for Tribal school leaders, facility managers, educators, and community stakeholders. It will deliver:

• IAQ basics: Definitions, core concepts (source control, ventilation, filtration, maintenance) and how air quality impacts health and learning.
• Key challenges in Tribal schools and how to overcome them: aging buildings, remote locations, funding constraints, equipment failures, local exposures.
• Real-world case examples: Tribal schools that have made strides in IAQ management, from program design to measurable outcomes.
• Tools, resources, and technical assistance, including federal and Tribal funding opportunities, IAQ checklists, monitoring tools, and maintenance frameworks.

Session Objectives

• Understand IAQ basics and its effects on health and learning.
• Recognize key IAQ challenges facing Tribal schools and potential ways to overcome them.
• Learn from Tribal-school case examples and apply lessons learned.
• Identify tools and resources that support Tribal school IAQ management.

Panelists:

• James Parsons, PMP, Environmental Specialist, Air Quality Division, Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma
• Dr. Vincent Mays, Principal, Low Mountain BIE, Navajo Nation

Spotlight on Tribal School and Facility-condition Stories

Available data and reports illustrate both the scale of the problem and the potential for progress.

• The Condition of Indian School Facilities report found that many BIE-funded schools operate in unsafe or deteriorating physical conditions, with recurring issues such as structural damage, heating system failures, and deferred maintenance.
• The NTAA’s National IAQ Needs Assessment (2019) reported that IAQ issues such as mold, moisture, combustion sources, and poor ventilation are widespread and under-documented across Tribal facilities.
• On the Navajo Nation, wintertime indoor PM₂.₅ levels in homes and schools exceeded U.S. EPA’s 24-hour standards, linked to outdated heating systems and inadequate ventilation.
• The From Home to School study connected improved cleaning and asthma-trigger-reduction practices to decreased absence rates: schools with better cleaning protocols had 2–3 percent lower absence rates during flu season.

These findings underscore that improving IAQ in Tribal schools is essential to student health, attendance, and academic success.

One notable example of community-based progress is from the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) in Montana. Through a partnership with the University of Montana, students helped monitor air-quality data in schools and successfully advocated for upgrading outdated heating systems—demonstrating that locally driven IAQ action can produce measurable change.

Why This Matters - For Students, Teachers, and Communities

For students, improved IAQ means fewer asthma attacks, fewer sick days, and more consistent attendance—each strongly linked to higher academic achievement. For teachers, it means healthier workplaces and better retention. For communities, it signals investment in children’s well-being and honors the responsibility of providing safe learning environments on sovereign lands.

Addressing IAQ in Tribal schools supports educational equity, environmental justice, and community resilience.

Tips for Tribal schools and their partners

• Start with a simple IAQ audit: Check ventilation, filters, moisture, and combustion appliances.
• Track key metrics, such as absenteeism, asthma-related nurse visits, CO₂ levels, or PM₂.₅ readings.
• Engage students and staff: Student-led sensor programs or “air-quality champion” projects build ownership.
• Use available funding: TribalIndoorAirFunding.org lists grants and assistance programs.
• Create a long-term IAQ management plan: Integrate maintenance, training, and monitoring.
• Build partnerships: Collaborate with Tribal environmental agencies, regional EPA programs, and universities.
• Share outcomes: Data and stories help sustain momentum and attract future investment.

Join us!

On November 18, 2025 at 11 a.m. Pacific / 2 p.m. Eastern, join this vital session to explore how Tribal schools can create healthier learning environments through improved indoor air quality.

• Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_osLBJURdSIqilPstg8xXOw

Healthy air means healthy students, empowered teachers, and stronger Tribal communities!

References

1. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Tribal Indoor Air Quality Programs Spotlight. 2025. https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/tribal-indoor-air-quality-programs-spotlight
2. National Tribal Air Association. National Indoor Air Quality Needs Assessment: Updated and Revised Report. 2019. https://www.ntaatribalair.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NTAA-National-IAQ-Needs-Assessment-Updated-and-Revised-Report.pdf
3. U.S. Department of the Interior – Office of Inspector General. Condition of Indian School Facilities. 2016. https://www.doioig.gov/sites/default/files/2021-migration/FinalEval_BIESchoolFacilitiesB_093016.pdf
4. U.S. EPA NCER. From Home to School: Tribal Indoor Air Quality Intervention Study. Project No. 10253. https://cfpub.epa.gov/ncer_abstracts/INDEX.cfm/fuseaction/display.abstractDetail/abstract_id/10253/report/F
5. School Infrastructure Lab. School Facilities and Physical Conditions in Districts Receiving Impact Aid for Students Residing on Indian Lands. 2023. https://school-infrastructure.org/resources/school-facilities-physical-conditions-in-school-districts-receiving-impact-aid-for-students-residing-on-indian-lands-ou5
6. Navajo Nation EPA. Indoor Air Quality Findings and Recommendations. https://www.env.nm.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/Navajo-Nation-EPA-Indoor-Air-Quality.pdf
7. University of Montana News. Students Help Improve Air Quality on Tribal Lands. March 2025. https://www.umt.edu/news/2025/03/031925purp.php
8. Facilities Management Advisor. EPA Funds $34 Million to Improve Indoor Air Quality at Schools. 2024. https://facilitiesmanagementadvisor.com/heating-and-cooling/epa-funds-34m-to-improve-indoor-air-quality-at-schools/