Indoor Air Quality In Our Schools
    
Lisa Greenfield, Midwest Regional Program Manager at the Center for Green Schools, emphasizes the critical importance of improving indoor air quality (IAQ) in schools for both health and educational outcomes. Drawing on her two decades as an educator, she notes that poor IAQ leads to increased student and staff illness, absenteeism, and lower academic performance. Children are especially vulnerable due to their developing respiratory and immune systems and higher breathing rates. Common pollutants—like particulate matter, volatile organic compounds, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide—can exacerbate health conditions, such as asthma, the leading cause of absenteeism. Poor IAQ also has economic consequences, including lost parental work time and school funding. Greenfield advocates for layered interventions: improved ventilation, upgraded filtration (e.g., higher MERV-rated filters, HEPA purifiers), and increased air exchanges, all of which reduce disease transmission and pollutant exposure. Investments in IAQ yield significant returns, such as enhanced cognitive function, better attendance, and reduced substitute teacher costs. Ultimately, Greenfield argues that prioritizing clean air in schools supports healthier, more productive students and staff, underpins societal well-being, and should be central to school planning and investment. view video https://youtu.be/fcIJhMi1Raw