Parents, she says, assume schools automatically do the right thing. They don't see schools as dangerous places. They assume it must be safe because it's a school. The state's Division of Occupational Health and Department of Public Health respond to complaints about air-quality problems in the workplace. If teachers complain, the division or department investigates and makes recommendations.
Problem is, they rely on schools to follow through.
There are no fines, and no punishment. The failure to define what is acceptable and what is not has allowed schools to push the envelope. Graham says she knows of schools that have run classrooms in basements, closets, and even in bathrooms. Teacher salaries, learning materials, and special ed eat up school budgets faster than a first-grader can count to 20. Administrators would rather not spend any more than they have to on building maintenance.