Envisioning Excellence

Lessons from Effective School 

Indoor Air Quality Programs

IAQ Tools for 

Schools Program

Read more about the Profiles in IAQ Excellence and 

the Framework for Effective School IAQ Management at

www.epa.gov/iaq/schools/excellence.html.

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)

A Snapshot of Profiles 

in IAQ Excellence

1

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has developed Envisioning 

Excellence: Lessons from Effective School IAQ Programs to help schools take action 

to advance health, safety and wellness initiatives. Envisioning Excellence presents 

the Framework for Effective School IAQ Management — guidelines that detail 

the organizational approaches and practices that are fundamental to school IAQ 

program success — and tells the stories of several very different school districts 

that applied the Framework to create effective and enduring IAQ programs. In 

their diversity, these stories demonstrate the flexibility and adaptability of the 

Framework. They make clear that any school, regardless of location, size, budget 

or facility conditions, can use the Framework to launch and sustain a successful 

IAQ program. 

The following is a snapshot of school districts and the work they have done 

to effectively manage IAQ. These Profiles in IAQ Excellence demonstrate 

the Framework for Effective School IAQ Management in action by showing 

how the Six Key Drivers of the Framework contribute to each school district’s 

program success. 

Profiles in IAQ Excellence A Snapshot of

Baltimore County 

Public Schools

Urban, suburban and rural district surrounding 

the city of Baltimore, MD

• 167 facilities, 91% more than 30 years old

• 108,000 students & 17,000 staff

Used the IAQ Tools for Schools Framework to strengthen existing 

programs and leverage a proactive approach to environmental 

issues ......................................................................................2

Blue Valley 

School District

Suburban district in Overland Park, KS

• 38 facilities ranging from 0-88 years old 

• 21,000 students & 3,100 staff 

Built momentum and secured support for facility 

investments by linking IAQ management to 

student performance ................................................................. 3

The School 

Board of Broward 

County, Florida

Urban district in the Fort Lauderdale, FL

area

• 258 facilities ranging from 0-80 years old

• 255,203 students & 35,000 staff 

Created a collaborative approach to IAQ management 

that brought parents, unions, teachers, facilities, 

and operations and maintenance together ....................................4

CharlotteMecklenburg 

Schools

Urban district in Charlotte, NC

• 650 buildings, 970 mobile units, 176 schools 

ranging from 0-80 years old

• 140,000 students & 18,000 staff

Committed to ensuring healthy indoor environments after an 

expensive and exhausting IAQ crisis. Reorganization, training and 

benchmarking all facilities led to a sustainable, institutionalized IAQ 

management program ................................................................5

Hartford Public 

Schools

Urban district in Connecticut (sixth highest

poverty rate of any large U.S. city)

• 48 facilities ranging from 0-128 years old

• 22,500 students & 3,700 staff 

Used the IAQ Tools for Schools Program to coordinate school health 

and facilities functions across the district and engage community

organizations in an effort to address asthma ................................6

Katy Independent 

School District

Rapidly growing suburban district outside of

Houston, TX 

• 68 facilities ranging from 0-50 years old 

• 60,857 students & 7,848 staff 

Turned an IAQ crisis into an opportunity by creating 

an effective IAQ program led by key senior managers 

at the district level and by health services representatives 

at each school ..........................................................................7

Newark Public 

Schools

Urban district in Newark, NJ

• 102 facilities ranging from 0-161 years old

• 42,000 students & 6,000 staff

Created a proactive, results-oriented IAQ management program, 

despite many 100+ year-old facilities, by training staff, partnering 

with community groups for support and cultivating program 

ownership .................................................................................8

North East 

Independent 

School District

Urban district in San Antonio, TX

• 65 school facilities ranging from 0-56 years old

• 66,000 students & 10,000 staff

Transformed its reactive IAQ program into a proactive, comprehensive 

environmental health regime by equating the health of school 

buildings to the students’ health and wellness..............................9

West Carrollton 

School District

Suburban district near Dayton, OH

• 7 facilities ranging from 40-90 years old

• 3,675 students & 450 staff 

Overcame an IAQ crisis and loss of public trust by 

employing an open communications and planning 

strategy to build understanding, improve assessments 

and create ownership for IAQ results .........................................10

The Framework for Effective School IAQ 

Management: Six Key Drivers

Learn how:

Evaluate

Organize Communicate

Assess

Act Plan
2

To respond to a County Council resolution, Baltimore County 

Public Schools (BCPS) Superintendent Dr. Joe A. Hairston formed 

an Environmental Assessment Advisory Committee to evaluate 

the district’s IAQ management approach. Though BCPS’ existing 

maintenance program was strong and did not face any serious IAQ 

problems, with the second oldest facilities inventory in Maryland, the district 

needed a concrete plan to manage its facilities effectively. On the advice of 

the Executive Director of the Department of Physical Facilities, Michael 

Sines, the Superintendent hired two Industrial Hygienists who serve as 

IAQ experts, David Glassman and Sean Joyce, to team with Environmental 

Services supervisor, Robert Merry, to develop a preventive, preemptive and 

proactive environmental management program. Using the IAQ Tools for 

Schools Program as a major component, BCPS initiated a school-driven, 

prevention-focused IAQ management program.

Organize for Success — Develop a Systematic Approach: BCPS assessed 

the strengths and weaknesses of their maintenance program and incorporated 

IAQ Tools for Schools guidance to address gaps in their IAQ management 

approach. For example, BCPS devised formal schedules for HVAC air filter 

replacements, walkthroughs and other maintenance activities to take the 

guesswork out of preventive action. 

Assess Your Environments Continuously — Identify and Prevent Risks: 

The Department of Physical Facilities compiles a list of campuses at risk 

for IAQ issues — due to building age, environmental conditions and other factors — and then works with the multi-disciplinary 

Environmental Action Team to review conditions and develop solutions to manage and solve each issue. The Department of 

Physical Facilities communicates diligently with school communities throughout the year regarding the progress of the plan. This 

communication transforms school-based IAQ Tools for Schools Teams into sentinels for environmental issues on their campuses so that 

the Department of Physical Facilities can act at the first sign of a problem — before little issues become big expensive ones. “We’re a 

low-cost, no-cost program, which means communication is our most important prevention tool. We tell our staff, ‘We love little problems!’ 

because we hate big problems. Creating that awareness, participation and two-way communication is absolutely critical to our success.” – 

Sean Joyce, Industrial Hygienist

Act to Address Structural, Institutional and Behavioral Issues — Address 

Problems at their Source: When the Department of Physical Facilities notices repeat 

issues in a space, they investigate how it is being used, cleaned and maintained. If any of 

these practices are causing or contributing to the problem, the Department of Physical 

Facilities and the campus IAQ Tools for Schools Team work together to communicate 

why the behavior is a problem and suggest alternatives. Keeping a blame-free, solutionfocused approach ensures that occupants and staff are receptive to change, and digging 

deep to find the root cause of issues helps BCPS reduce the number of environmental 

issues.

Evaluate Your Results for Continuous Improvement — Solicit Feedback: BCPS 

modified its walkthrough inspection report to include a summary that is submitted to 

the Department of Physical Facilities twice a year. Information on the summaries keeps 

the Department of Physical Facilities in the loop regarding the realities and perceptions 

at each campus. If there is the hint of a concern, action will be taken, often before 

the school community realizes the need for action. This early intervention is key to 

maintaining the confidence level critical to managing a large system. “Evaluating our 

program and sharing the results has allowed us to build a lot of confidence from our community – both our internal community and external 

community – that we have the ability one, to assess our air quality issues and two, to solve them.” – David Glassman, Industrial Hygienist

BALTIMORE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS 

PROGRAM RESULTS

Preventive, Preemptive, Proactive IAQ Management

BCPS tracks cost savings, IAQ 

complaints and the number of 

disruptions to school building operations 

to continually communicate the IAQ 

management program’s value to the 

district.

\ Reduced average expenditures on 

mold remediation activities from 

$513,000 to $150,000 within one 

year of program implementation.

\ Observed a significant reduction in 

both number and severity of IAQrelated work orders and complaints.

\ Reduced the number of 

remediation projects that delayed 

school openings from between 30-

40 to just a single incident since 

program implementation.

ORGANIZE FOR SUCCESS: 

Create Champions 

BCPS doesn’t mandate 

participation on campus-level 

IAQ Tools for Schools Teams; 

anyone can play a part. Once 

teams are formed, BCPS trains 

members on IAQ fundamentals. 

Combining training with a 

volunteer’s sense of initiative, 

leadership and commitment 

transforms “team members” 

into bona fide IAQ champions.
3

In 2000, Blue Valley School District (BVSD) launched an IAQ 

management program to address increased parent interest in 

environmental issues, counter the risks of a public relations disaster 

like the one that occurred when a neighboring district closed a school for 

IAQ problems, and ensure outstanding learning environments for their 

students. BVSD applied the IAQ Tools for Schools model to create a structure 

for facilities management that tied their existing programs together and 

leveraged resources to radically accelerate their progress. “Our program’s 

success didn’t materialize overnight. It started with a vision and expectation 

of excellence, and we have continued to push the program forward at every 

opportunity.” – Dave Hill, Executive Director, Facilities and Operations 

Organize for Success — Build an Effective Team: BVSD created an interdisciplinary IAQ team that includes design and construction, safety, energy, 

operations and maintenance, and custodial functions. A designated IAQ 

coordinator leads the team, and everyone in the district knows he is the ‘goto guy’ for IAQ. The team also includes an executive-level leader who relays 

the team’s goals and investment needs to the district’s strategic planning 

committee. “Before adopting IAQ Tools for Schools, we had a lot of successful, 

but...unrelated pieces in place for managing our environments...IAQ Tools 

for Schools gave us a framework for organizing; it provided the comprehensive 

approach we needed...to pull it all together, strengthen our existing practices...

and get more out of our work.” – Dave Hill, Executive Director, Facilities and 

Operations 

Assess Your Environments Continuously — Use Technology: Blue Valley uses technology to benchmark facilities, conduct 

routine monitoring, and save money and man hours by avoiding problems. “With regular inspections, we can detect potential problems 

before [they] become larger issues that require expensive repairs. By demonstrating the cost savings that preventive maintenance can deliver, 

we convinced the decision-makers that upfront technology investments made sense.” – Dave Hill, Executive Director, Facilities and 

Operations 

Plan Your Short and Long-Term Activities — Put Goals in Writing: Blue 

Valley institutionalized their program by including IAQ goals in the district’s 

strategic plan and establishing metrics to evaluate their progress against goals. 

Communicate with Everyone, All the Time — Share Your Goals: By tying 

the IAQ work to a goal that people care deeply about, BVSD was able to build 

the depth of commitment the IAQ initiative needed right from the start.

Act to Address Structural, Institutional and Behavioral Issues — Educate 

Staff About IAQ to Change Behavior: Blue Valley used training to cultivate a 

culture of stewardship and to create IAQ champions across the organization. All 

facilities staff members were trained to identify root causes of IAQ problems and 

to avoid cosmetic fixes. 

Evaluate Your Results for Continuous Improvement — Solicit Feedback: 

BVSD asks occupants to rate the school’s indoor environment on annual 

surveys and aims to receive scores of at least four out of five from 100 percent of 

respondents.

BLUE VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT

BVSD uses their work order system to 

track reported IAQ concerns and monitors 

operating expenditures to capture cost 

savings from IAQ upgrades. 

\ Fewer per capita IAQ concerns 

each year. 

\ Reduced operating costs through 

IAQ upgrades (e.g., $23,000 energy 

savings at one school in one year).

\ Rise in test scores every year since 

program began (highest ACT scores 

in the state; four out of six of state’s 

top-ranked schools are in BVSD).

\ Marked decrease in lost instructional 

time due to facility problems.

PROGRAM RESULTS

ACT TO ADDRESS STRUCTURAL, 

INSTITUTIONAL AND 

BEHAVIORAL ISSUES: Educate 

Staff About IAQ to Change Behavior

 “We have been able to sustain 

the excellence of our district’s IAQ 

management program because we have 

cultivated an atmosphere of program 

ownership and building stewardship 

among all of the employees who are 

responsible for maintaining excellent 

IAQ.” 

– Dave Hill, Executive Director, 

Facilities and Operations

Building Momentum — Linking IAQ Management to Student Success
4

The School Board of Broward County, Florida (Broward) 

experienced a mold crisis in 2002 that led to the implementation of 

a comprehensive, district-wide IAQ Tools for Schools Program. “Before 

2002...we were taking some action to address IAQ, but our activities were 

not systematic and they were not undertaken in a spirit of collaboration. Our 

crisis caused a paradigm shift in our approach...Now, we’re much more focused 

on involvement, communications and collaboration with the community, the 

unions and all the disciplines throughout the district. Before, we worked behind 

the scenes...in a veiled way...but now, everyone in the district understands IAQ 

and knows they have a role to play in promoting healthy school environments.” 

– Jeff Moquin, Executive Director, Support Operations

Organize for Success — Identify Existing Assets: When the district was 

hit with a crisis, they looked for an organization that was viewed as effective 

and trustworthy to carry their IAQ plans forward. In 2002, they engaged the 

existing Facilities Task Force, comprised of union members, teachers, parents, 

school board members and others.

Build an Effective Team: Broward engaged all possible stakeholders for 

the IAQ Subcommittee, including the district’s superintendent. Then 

they recruited IAQ committees in each school to serve as trainers, survey 

administrators and community liaisons.

Design Standard Operating Procedures: Broward created a comprehensive 

manual codifying all of their IAQ management policies and standard 

operating procedures into one unifying document, ensuring the best 

practices that have become institutionalized over the past eight years never lose their meaning or purpose. They distribute the 

manual at annual kick-off training sessions and make it readily available to anyone on their website. By making sure everyone in the 

community knows how their IAQ management program operates, they have created a legacy of knowledge and practice that virtually 

guarantees its sustainability. 

Assess Your Environments Continuously — Listen to Occupants: To ensure 

that the district-level team gets thorough input from building occupants, 

Broward’s online survey is designed to be simple and comfortable for building 

occupants to use (e.g., no name required), and the robust, online survey 

assessment instrument automatically compiles survey findings and maps required 

response activities to create a complete picture of each facility.

Plan Your Short and Long-Term Activities — Prioritize Actions: Broward’s 

system names IAQ work orders according to a priority ranking based on the 

seriousness of the IAQ concern and the nature of the required response (e.g., 

behavioral change versus equipment repair).

Communicate with Everyone, All the Time — Be Transparent & Inclusive: 

Where once IAQ issues were addressed quietly, now the district broadcasts 

information about its facilities — problems and all — on its website, on its cable 

access television station, and through written action plans to remediate the issues 

identified on their walkthroughs, which are distributed to all stakeholders.

Act to Address Structural, Institutional and Behavioral Issues — Educate 

Staff About IAQ to Change Behavior: By engaging the unions and parent 

groups, the IAQ Subcommittee changed the way the Facilities and Maintenance 

and Operations Departments did business. They helped staff become 

collaborative problem-solvers rather than secret keepers.

THE SCHOOL BOARD OF BROWARD COUNTY

PROGRAM RESULTS

PLAN YOUR SHORT AND LONGTERM ACTIVITIES: Put Goals in 

Writing

“As our IAQ program grows, we strive 

to grow with it and stay current. We 

realigned our policies and procedures 

with the Key Drivers and Technical 

Solutions of the Framework to 

develop a comprehensive Indoor 

Air Quality Manual and concise IAQ 

Resource Guide. Along with our 

Environmental Stewardship Strategic 

Plan, these are the blueprints we will 

use to realize our vision of success in 

environmental management.” 

– Jeff Moquin,

Executive Director, Support Operations

The More Open and Collaborative the Program, the Better the IAQ Outcomes

Broward uses survey results to track IAQ 

concerns and responses over time, and 

monitors workers’ compensation claims.

\ Implemented IAQ Tools for Schools in 

206 locations so far and continues to add 

at least 20 new schools each year.

\ Achieved a 50-percent decrease in IAQ 

complaints, and continues to observe a 

declining trend.

\ Observed correlation between schools 

with IAQ programs and decrease in 

reported IAQ issues, as well as workers’ 

compensation claims and the average 

expense per claim.

\ Institutionalized IAQ and other green 

initiatives by including them in district 

strategic plans and following up with 

written plans of action for all members of 

the school community.
5

For Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS), IAQ troubles began with 

parent concern about possible mold in one school. An investigation 

concluded that mold was not an issue, but skeptical parents took 

their concerns to the media, inciting a whirlwind of bad publicity and 

community mistrust. Although CMS weathered the immediate crisis, this 

event spurred a new commitment — CMS set out to ensure that proactive 

IAQ management became a way of life in the district. CMS followed 

the IAQ Tools for Schools Program guidance to establish a district-wide 

facility assessment program, assign departmental responsibilities to address 

environmental risks, partner with community groups to implement the 

management approach, and train everyone across the school community on 

IAQ management. The result is a sustainable and successful program, a sense 

of ownership among the staff for facility and occupant health, and improved 

trust and openness with the community.

Organize for Success — Empower an IAQ Leader: For CMS, a sustainable 

IAQ program required a strong advocate with the power to make big decisions. 

Senior management created a new position, Manager of Environmental Health 

and Safety, and hired an IAQ expert with extensive experience managing 

environmental health in large, institutional buildings. 

Assess Your Environments Continuously — Walk the Grounds: CMS 

implemented a two-track system for continuous assessments. Track one is a proactive inspection system consisting of routine 

monthly walkthroughs. Track two is a reactive system for responding to all reported occupant concerns within 24 hours to assess the 

conditions and initiate a response plan. “We’re proactively looking for problems. By finding and cleaning up problems early, we make the 

classrooms healthier and save maintenance funds in the long run.” – Brian Kasher, Manager of Environmental Health and Safety

Plan Your Short and Long-Term Activities — Work in Stages: The Executive Director of Building Services, Phil Berman, 

understood that he couldn’t sustain an effective IAQ program alone; successful management requires a team approach. CMS worked 

with the University of Tulsa to plan a district-wide assessment program for all 150+ school facilities. To ensure adequate time, 

budget and thoroughness of inspections, they conducted the baseline assessments, including surveying occupants, inspecting HVAC 

equipment, conducting walkthroughs and collecting monitoring data over two years.

Communicate with Everyone, All the Time — Share Your Goals: A written 

mission and vision that aligns with the district’s strategic plan helps keep the Building 

Services Department on track and acts as an anthem for their efforts. The mission 

resonates with everyone: “to provide excellent educational facilities for all stakeholders 

that are safe, clean, well-maintained and environmentally secure.” “The less time 

teachers and school-based administrators spend worrying about facilities-related issues and 

instead focus on their primary mission of educating children, the better.” – Phil Berman, 

Executive Director, Building Services

Act to Address Structural, Institutional and Behavioral Issues — Educate 

Staff About IAQ to Change Behavior: By conducting training for all school groups 

about how everyone can help maintain healthy IAQ, Building Services demonstrated 

that every department and function has value. The result was a visible shift in CMS culture: a change in perceptions, behavior, and 

ultimately, the mindset of the school community. One of the first signs of this change was a new appreciation for the facilities staff —

the unseen champions of any IAQ program. “Now...we understand IAQ issues are not an agenda item, they are a way of doing business. 

We have received so many thank you letters from staff — and for a usually thankless job.” – Chip Irby, Director of Maintenance

Evaluate Your Results for Continuous Improvement — Solicit Feedback: CMS noticed a sharp spike in their mold work orders 

during the summer months — not surprising considering the humid North Carolina climate — but the facilities staff noticed many 

were repeat calls. By talking to people experiencing repeat problems, they discovered they could address the repeats by revising the 

summer energy management program. The results: a 54-percent reduction in mold work orders from repeat calls during the summer.

CHARLOTTE-MECKLENBURG SCHOOLS

PROGRAM RESULTS

“The Framework is really just 

a natural progression for an 

IAQ management program. Our 

program’s approach has always 

been the Framework, before we 

even knew what that was.”

– Brian Kasher, Manager of 

Environmental Health and Safety

Organizing to Institutionalize Proactive IAQ Management

CMS tracks IAQ work orders and monitors 

costs saved by their proactive approach.

\ Summer-time program emphasizing 

IAQ fundamentals cut mold work orders 

by 54 percent.

\ One hundred percent of IAQ complaints 

investigated within 24 hours.

\ Early identification and prompt 

response to IAQ concerns have 

reduced response costs: items costing 

$150,000+ in the past are safely 

handled for less than $10,000 today.

\ Change in school culture: Greater 

awareness and responsiveness and a 

new commitment of fiscal resources to 

address IAQ issues district-wide.
6

The city of Hartford has the sixth highest child poverty rate of any 

large city in the United States. In 2001, a study of Medicaid eligible, 

school-aged children in Hartford revealed an asthma prevalence of 

19 percent. The city council declared an asthma emergency and called 

on the school district to help manage asthma. Hartford Public Schools 

(HPS) was challenged by old buildings and limited resources. Two dedicated 

champions used the IAQ Tools for Schools Program to create a wellness 

program for the district. They recruited collaborators from across the 

community and established a network of Health and Safety Teams in the 

majority of schools linked through the district-level nursing and building 

and grounds functions. Although recent changes in upper management have 

resulted in new challenges, bundling IAQ Tools for Schools with the Health 

and Safety Teams has maintained a sustainable structure to address school 

wellness. A more targeted focus on training and education has empowered 

building occupants to be stewards of their environments.

Organize for Success — Develop Systematic Approach: In 2001, HPS 

applied the IAQ Tools for Schools Framework to create a district-wide wellness 

program and address rising rates of asthma. They didn’t add IAQ activities 

to a to-do list; they used IAQ Tools for Schools to create a systemic solution. 

They recruited teams at each school site and partnered with health and 

environmental organizations from across the city (universities, non-profits, 

local and state government, etc.). These Health and Safety Teams remain 

intact despite shifting priorities in the district.

Assess Your Environments Continuously — Listen to Occupants: HPS trained the site-based Health and Safety Teams with the 

tools and information they needed to assess their facilities. The teams gather detailed information from building occupants about 

facility history, health trends and comfort issues and use that information to develop a list of priority activities; prompt response to 

improvement requests from Facilities and Nursing Services provides positive reinforcement. By allowing school staff to assess their 

facilities and prioritize their own IAQ needs, the district empowers school-based teams to be facility experts and stewards.

Plan Your Short and Long-Term Activities — Work in Stages: HPS put 

together the components of success over time. At first, there was a single pilot 

project. But, they used that example to build momentum and support; used the 

support to build a training program; used the training program to create schoolbased Health and Safety Teams; used the teams to assess the facilities; and so 

on. And now, they are ensuring sustainability by reinforcing the program with 

IAQ Tools for Schools on Health and Safety Team agendas and active outreach 

to administration and principals that emphasizes the relationships among IAQ 

management, student health and student performance.

Communicate with Everyone, All the Time — Make IAQ Meaningful: The 

IAQ program champions in HPS marketed the program by describing their goals 

for it in the terms that were most relevant to each audience: for administrators, it 

was a solution for asthma and attendance; for school-based teams, it was the key 

to achieving “safe, clean and healthy” schools.

Act to Address Structural, Institutional and Behavioral Issues — Train Occupants to Address IAQ Risks: HPS keeps IAQ 

management front and center by continually communicating the importance of IAQ to various groups within the school district, 

from focused training for custodians throughout the district, to annual staff training on asthma and the environment, to regular 

meetings with the principals, and even educating teens on asthma in high school. No one person or group is overwhelmed by 

the workload because the responsibility for good IAQ in the schools is spread and shared across the district, the schools and the 

community. “Although many programs compete for attention at HPS, the IAQ initiative is sustained because health leadership continues to 

see the value of IAQ Tools for Schools in supporting a healthy learning and teaching school environment.” – Paula Schenck, University of 

Connecticut Health Center

HARTFORD PUBLIC SCHOOLS

ORGANIZE FOR SUCCESS: 

Develop Systematic Approach

“From our very first pilot project...

we were driven by the question, 

‘what are we going to do about 

asthma?’ The fact that IAQ Tools for 

Schools provides support for asthma 

management was a major selling 

point for us and our administrators.”

 – Pam Clark, 

Hartford Public Schools

PROGRAM RESULTS

Using IAQ Management to Address Asthma in an Urban District

HPS monitors IAQ Tools for Schools

implementation at the District’s schools, 

and the nursing staff tracks asthma 

outcomes.

\ Decrease in asthma visits to school 

health rooms over the initial three 

years of systematic data collection.

\ Sustainable and active health and 

safety teams in the majority of schools.

\ Greatly enhanced staff commitment, 

involvement and stewardship of 

facility health.

\ Widespread staff awareness of how and 

why to report IAQ concerns; IAQ Tools 

for Schools recommendations used in 

renovations and new buildings.

\ Proactive approach ensures IAQ 

problems are addressed in a systematic 

and timely manner.
7

Katy Independent School District (KISD) launched their IAQ Tools for 

Schools Program to respond to a mold crisis that led to the closing of 

one of their schools and the sudden relocation of over 700 students in 

the spring of 2002. The community voiced disapproval and expressed 

distrust that the district could maintain healthy buildings for their children. 

The district learned some powerful lessons during that crisis and put those 

lessons to work immediately: a comprehensive IAQ program is essential; it 

costs less to prevent IAQ problems than to fix them; IAQ management has 

to be integrated into the culture to be successful; continuous improvement, 

not just remediation, is the goal; and open and honest communication with 

the public is essential.

Organize for Success — Empower an IAQ Leader: KISD’s IAQ Program 

is led by an assistant director inside the Maintenance and Operations 

(M&O) Department. This level of authority lets the IAQ coordinator hire 

staff, set policies and apply funds as required to meet the IAQ challenges. 

“The IAQ Tools for Schools Program has become a part of the KISD culture and 

the ‘way we do business.’ The expectation is that we will provide a clean, healthy 

environment for our students and staff, and the IAQ Tools for Schools Program 

allows us to do just that. As time passes, we continue to instill those lessons in our 

employees and see buy-in at all levels; it has become an integral part of our dayto-day operations.” – Peggy Caruso, Assistant Director, M&O Department

Assess Your Environments Continuously — Determine a Baseline: The 

IAQ team recorded baseline environmental conditions at all facilities by 

conducting walkthrough assessments in the first year of the program. The 

baseline has provided a way to measure progress over time and continuously 

motivate staff to take effective actions. And ongoing assessments show 

continuously improved facility performance over time.

Plan Your Short and Long-Term Activities — Prioritize Actions: KISD prioritizes 

IAQ activities in at least two ways: after the assessments, supervisors in the M&O 

Department review their action lists and rank priorities according to risk; and before 

any money is spent on major facility upgrades, the department prioritizes sealing 

building envelopes, windows and doors to prevent moisture intrusion and manage 

mold risks.

Communicate with Everyone, All the Time — Be Transparent & Inclusive:

KISD began an aggressive and open communications campaign when the crisis hit 

and since then, has never stopped engaging their community. The IAQ team shares 

their IAQ plan, continuously updates the community on its progress, and willingly 

opens their facilities to community tours. This openness and the team’s followthrough on their commitments built trust and significant support for the program 

in a once-doubting community.

Act to Address Structural, Institutional and Behavioral Issues — Educate Staff 

About IAQ to Change Behavior: KISD saw a change in the principals’ reactions 

from Year One to Two of the assessment process. At first, principals hardly noticed 

their reports, but by Year Two, they paid close attention. The district-level staff’s 

reaction to the reports demonstrated that “this IAQ stuff” must be important. 

When the assessments were quickly followed by M&O activity in their schools, the 

principals took notice. The IAQ team continues to train administrators and staff on 

key IAQ issues and appropriate occupant behaviors.

KATY INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT

PROGRAM RESULTS

KISD tracks baseline facility conditions 

and improvements over time based on their 

walkthrough assessments and the number 

of reported IAQ concerns from work orders.

\ Walkthrough assessments of all schools 

show continuous improvement from 

baseline.

\ Decrease in reported IAQ concerns. 

\ Improved student, teacher and staff 

comfort, performance and satisfaction.

\ Decreased absenteeism and reduced 

number of nurse visits for asthma.

\ Turned once negative publicity into 

positive publicity for the district.

\ Ongoing public support for major 

facility investments, including facility 

upgrades.

\ One of 12 schools internationally to 

win Facilities Masters Award from the 

Association of School Business Officials 

International.

ORGANIZE FOR SUCCESS: 

Secure Senior Buy-In

KISD continues to ensure program 

sustainability by obtaining support 

from new administrators.

“I believe ensuring we have skilled 

technicians and managers able to 

respond to any feedback or concern 

from the end user is critical to our 

success.”

– Tom Gunnell, 

Chief Operations Officer

“Providing a safe and orderly 

working and learning environment 

is essential to the district’s 

performance.”

– Alton Frailey,

Superintendent

Turning Crisis into Opportunity...and Thriving
8

As the record-holder for the most school facilities over 100 years 

old, Newark Public Schools (Newark) faced a challenge when in 

2004, New Jersey enacted new school IAQ regulations. Facilities 

Management Executive Director Steve Morlino formed an IAQ 

Team to establish a comprehensive IAQ management plan that would 

go beyond minimums set by state regulations and establish Newark as 

a national model for facilities management. With superintendent and 

administrative staff approval, and participation from the entire school 

community, Newark implemented a proactive, results-oriented program. 

Thorough program organization, staff training and collaboration with 

community members helped Newark achieve its goal of IAQ excellence. 

Today, the district is a national model for IAQ management, school 

operation and community relationship-building. 

Organize for Success — Create Champions: Newark convened an 

Educational Summit for Facilities Management staff to learn the new 

state IAQ regulations and share specific goals for IAQ excellence and the 

actions necessary to achieve them. By bringing everyone together to learn 

why the program was important and what it would accomplish, Newark 

created champions with a commitment to the IAQ program and its goals.

Assess Your Environments Continuously — Use Technology: 

To streamline its operations district-wide, Newark uses SchoolDude, a 

suite of online operations management tools that help coordinate routine 

maintenance, schedule proactive IAQ actions and manage responses to 

potential problems. All facilities staff speak the same language and use 

the same tools to track 

their work, which saves 

time and energy.

Plan Your Short and Long-Term Activities — Work in Stages: Newark 

organizes its activities into phases with defined measures of success and starts 

with small tasks to build momentum to support bigger goals. For example, 

when Newark transitioned to green cleaning, they first educated occupants and 

custodians about the new products and the reasons for the switch. After a trial 

period, they asked for feedback. If anyone had reservations, Facilities Management 

listened and found an alternative. This “educate, test, listen and refine” approach 

to IAQ management engaged the entire school community and built trust and 

support for the IAQ program.

Act to Address Structural, Institutional and Behavioral Issues — Educate Staff About IAQ to Change Behavior: Facilities 

Management worked with Health Services on their common goal to reduce environmental asthma triggers. Together, they teamed 

with the Pediatric/Adult Asthma Coalition of New Jersey (PACNJ) to educate nurses, principals and teachers about the relationship 

between IAQ and asthma. New awareness led to asthma-friendly and IAQ-friendly policies and institutional culture changes, which 

resulted in every school in the district meriting an Asthma-Friendly School Award from PACNJ. “We call nurses our ‘first line of 

defense.’ When someone comes to them with a health complaint that could be related to IAQ, they call us immediately to give us a headsup... and explain the medical side of the story. Our partnership is indispensable because they help us understand the complete IAQ picture.” 

– Warren Williams, Senior Engineer in Charge

Communicate with Everyone, All the Time — Communicate Results: When Newark won the EPA IAQ Tools for Schools National 

Excellence Award, the ASBO Facilities Masters Awards and other accolades, they publicized their accomplishments through local 

newspapers, on the district’s cable television channel, the district website and in a parent e-newsletter. By broadcasting their success, 

Newark ensured everyone in the school community knew how important and how effective their work is to school health. 

NEWARK PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Proactive IAQ Management Accelerated Through Empowering Education

PROGRAM RESULTS

Newark tracks complaints submitted through 

an online form and monitors trends in student 

attendance.

\ Observed decrease in missed school 

days since IAQ program implementation 

and asthma-friendly policy changes.

\ Switched all chemical cleaning 

products to green alternatives.

\ Experienced fewer and less severe IAQ 

problems.

\ Only school district to win the Facilities 

Masters Award from the Association of 

School Business Officials International 

(ASBO) for four consecutive years.

\ Achieved widespread community buy-in 

and support through a commitment to 

transparency and honesty.

\ Continued positive environmental 

changes by installing solar panels on 

five facilities — reducing the district’s 

carbon footprint by 400 tons of carbon 

dioxide.

COMMUNICATE WITH 

EVERYONE, ALL THE TIME: 

Communicate Results

“We’re passionate about what we 

do. We want to share the message, 

‘If Newark can do it, anybody can.’” 

– Steve Morlino, Executive Director, 

Facilities Management
9

In 2006 the North East Independent School District (NEISD) recognized 

the link between IAQ management and asthma control, as a large number 

of students with asthma were visiting the school nurse regularly for 

reliever inhaler doses and missing school. Once the connection was made 

to student health and productivity, NEISD’s IAQ management program took 

on new urgency. By developing the Department of Environmental Health, 

the district sought to improve its control over IAQ in its classrooms through 

reducing airborne pollutants and other asthma triggers. NEISD strives to 

maintain a sustainable and institutionalized IAQ management program, while 

continuing to transform its mission — to create healthy buildings for all students 

and staff. 

Organize for Success — Empower an IAQ Leader: To create a proactive 

and focused IAQ management program, NEISD needed a leader to prioritize 

the district’s IAQ needs and make important decisions. As NEISD’s Executive 

Director for Facilities Maintenance and Support, Ron Clary fits this role and 

leads three departments that are dedicated to maintaining healthy buildings: the 

Department of Environmental Health, the Department for Custodial Support 

and the Department for Facilities Maintenance. He also created the IAQ 

Committee, which works across these departments to synergize their efforts and 

ensure that all IAQ issues are resolved quickly and completely. 

Organize for Success — Build an Effective Team: NEISD joined building 

and human health specialists under one umbrella, the IAQ Committee, to create 

an effective group that looks at all aspects of IAQ in a classroom. The team 

members have the credibility and the authority to implement corrective actions 

at all levels — both in the classroom and in the health clinic. “We have great 

individual expertise and programs, so when we work together and include input 

from both sides of the health equation, it makes a world of difference in our school 

environments and our student health.” – Jerry Lamping, Director for Indoor Air 

Quality

Assess Your Environments 

Continuously — Walk the Grounds: NEISD conducts routine environmental 

health assessments, which are based on safeguarding the health of students and staff by 

monitoring the conditions within the classrooms. During regular walkthroughs, airborne 

contaminants, such as particles and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), are measured 

as primary indicators of the room environment using portable IAQ test instruments. In 

addition, reliever inhaler usage by children with asthma and IAQ-related symptoms they 

experience are recorded and tracked. If the IAQ Committee notices a high rate of reliever 

usage in one school, it is a red flag that there may be an environmental issue.

Plan Your Short and Long-Term Activities — Plan for the Future: To ensure 

future IAQ protection and continue best management practices, NEISD is designing and 

constructing new school buildings that can be certified under the U.S. Green Building 

Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building 

rating systems. Safe and effective practices, such as low VOC emitting tested materials 

and high efficiency rated air filtration devices, are being included in all classroom project 

specifications and design plans. 

Communicate with Everyone, All the Time — Make IAQ Meaningful: Using CDC’s 

“Asthma Friendly Schools Toolkit” as a model, NEISD educated teachers and other school 

building occupants about the importance of IAQ. Communicating and educating building 

occupants about asthma gave environmental management clear meaning and importance 

to everyone. Teachers understood the connection between their actions and student health 

— becoming active stewards of their classroom environment. “Teachers love their kids; they 

don’t want to do anything to hurt them. Many of our teachers simply didn’t know about asthma triggers. Armed with this education, they were 

more than willing to change their classrooms to eliminate asthma triggers.” – Diane Rhodes, Director for Asthma Education

NORTH EAST INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT

Making the Connection Between Asthma and IAQ to Proactively Manage Environments

PROGRAM RESULTS

NEISD captures cost savings from facility 

upgrades and improvements, tracks 

student health and performance and 

monitors IAQ parameters.

\ Installed Web-based HVAC software, 

which cut energy costs by 9.4 percent 

in 2009, saving $1.3 million.

\ Increased State of Texas Exemplary 

and Recognized rated campuses to 87 

percent of all schools and received a 

Recognized rating for the district three 

years in a row.

\ Converted to Green Cleaning custodial 

products, which resulted in a six-fold 

decrease in VOC levels in classrooms 

and reduced costs by 30 percent. 

\ Adopted LEED and CHPS school 

design recommendations and 

purchased low VOC emitting 

furnishings.

\ Moved over 200 classrooms from 

temporary wood framed buildings 

to eight new two-story brick face 

permanent buildings.

COMMUNICATE WITH 

EVERYONE, ALL THE TIME: 

Make IAQ Meaningful 

“IAQ management was never a 

question, it was an answer. It 

supports the health of our students, 

so they can attend school and meet 

their full potential. It supports the 

health of our staff, without whom 

educating students is impossible. 

Finally, it helps me as an 

administrator run a more efficient 

school district, where I can stretch 

my budget further and channel 

limited resources where they are 

needed most: in the classroom.”

– Richard Middleton, 

Superintendent of Schools
10

West Carrollton School District (WCSD) began thinking seriously 

about IAQ issues in the wake of a public IAQ, moisture and 

ventilation problem that resulted in a lawsuit and negative media 

attention in the fall of 2001. In response, WCSD launched an IAQ 

management program in December 2001 to improve facility conditions and 

regain the public trust. The district built a program using guidance from 

the IAQ Tools for Schools Action Kit. “IAQ Tools for Schools gave us the 

guidance we needed to form our original committee and assess our facilities...

an organizational framework and the credibility we needed in the wake of our 

crisis.” – Dana Green, Business Manager

Organize for Success — Build an Effective Team: WCSD’s initial IAQ 

Team was a diverse group. Members included once-skeptical parents, school 

board members, the superintendent, the business manager, the operations 

supervisor for maintenance and facilities, union representatives from the 

teachers and classified workers unions, and at least one representative from 

each building. This composition made the team a communications network, 

a warehouse of facility expertise and a decision-making body that could 

authorize spending and assign personnel. Over time, the make-up and focus 

of the IAQ team has evolved to meet the shift from IAQ to student and staff 

health, wellness and safety.

Assess Your Environments Continuously — Identify and Prevent Risks:

WCSD continues to conduct preventive assessments by benchmarking all 

rooms in the district and conducting in-depth occupant surveys annually. 

The district uses these data to establish a picture of the normal functioning 

of every location in every facility. These tools allow them to recognize small 

problems early and act to prevent big problems from emerging. 

Plan Your Short and Long-Term Activities — Put Goals in Writing: Including IAQ issues in the strategic plan ensures that 

WCSD remains committed to the program because IAQ is linked to a core competency and a core belief. With a pirate as its mascot, 

the district is serious about changing the community’s attitude towards the importance of IAQ — holding true that “the big ‘P’ 

in ‘Pirate’ is perception.” “IAQ management is more than a plan, it is a WCSD core competency — defined by our belief that IAQ is 

inextricably linked to wellness, and furthered by aligning our work systems and processes with the IAQ Tools for Schools guidance.” – Dr. 

Rusty Clifford, Superintendent

Communicate with Everyone, All the Time — Be Transparent & Inclusive:

During the IAQ crisis, WCSD observed the positive values of integrity, honesty, 

responsibility and open communication: it was the best strategy for diffusing 

the media and demonstrating to the public and staff a “sincere commitment to 

protecting school health and safety.” “The IAQ Tools for Schools approach for 

addressing problems has become a way of life for everyone in the school community, from 

administration to students. It has allowed us to tell our story with passion and a sense of 

purpose.” – Dana Green, Business Manager

Act to Address Structural, Institutional and Behavioral Issues — Educate Staff 

About IAQ to Change Behavior: WCSD involves all staff in the assessment process 

to build their knowledge of and confidence in the IAQ program and to get better 

data on facility conditions. Staff participation in the in-depth surveys transforms 

them into educated IAQ champions and building stewards. This has resulted in an 

annual decline in the number and severity of walkthrough-related

issues for six consecutive years.

WEST CARROLLTON SCHOOL DISTRICT 

PROGRAM RESULTS

Communicating to Build Trust, Conduct Effective Assessments and Deliver IAQ Results 

WCSD tracks the number and type of IAQ 

concerns reported on annual surveys. 

\ Found less severe IAQ problems that 

take less time to address from year to 

year.

\ Improved student performance and 

attendance, and increased levels of 

staff and community trust.

\ Increased voter support: converted a 

fixed-term levy to a permanent one to 

provide guaranteed funds for capital 

improvements and operations.

ASSESS YOUR ENVIRONMENTS 

CONTINUOUSLY: Listen to 

Occupants

“We would not have imagined doing 

walkthroughs the way we now do 

them — with thorough input from 

staff and reviewing each facility with 

a fine-toothed comb — if we hadn’t 

learned to do so from the IAQ Tools 

for Schools Action Kit.”

– Dana Green,

Business Manager

“IAQ Tools for Schools is our framework 

for promoting high quality environmental 

health, safety and wellness. It provides 

direction for the design, alignment 

and deployment of our key operational 

processes and IAQ management system.”

– Dr. Rusty Clifford,

Superintendent
Read more about the Profiles in IAQ Excellence and the Framework for 

Effective School IAQ Management at 

www.epa.gov/iaq/schools/excellence.html.

January 2011
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www.epa.gov/iaq/schools