EPA's School Indoor Air Quality Newsletter - Back to School 2025

EPA Indoor Environments Division sent this bulletin at 08/18/2025 11:00 AM EDT

A red brick schoolhouse filled with a checklist, filter, thermostat, and spray bottle. "U.S. EPA Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools"

EPA's School Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Newsletter

Back to School 2025

What we breathe indoors matters. In schools, what we breathe and are exposed to can affect both health and academic performance. Fortunately, there is a lot we can do to ensure that the quality of our air indoors is safe and provides a healthy place for students to learn.

As you kick off a new school year, consider a fresh start with cleaner air by using our IAQ Tools for Schools Checklists. We offer school inspection checklists for specific audiences, like teachers and school nurses, in addition to checklists for specific school functions, like food service and waste management.

Starting the school year with a walkthrough inspection is a great way to ensure that all of your building systems are functioning at full capacity and all school spaces are ready for students and staff to occupy them. The IAQ Tools for Schools Preventive Maintenance Guidance and checklists and the IAQ Tools for Schools Walkthrough Checklist can help you get the year off to a healthy start.

Wildfire smoke in the distance from a town

EPA resources

Keep kids safe from wildland fire smoke in schools

When smoke from wildland fires (including wildfires and prescribed fires) leads to poor outdoor air quality, one of the most effective ways to protect children is by keeping them indoors. However, smoke can enter schools through heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) operations, open doors and windows, and gaps in the building envelope. To address this challenge, EPA published the Best Practices Guide for Improving Indoor Quality in Commercial/Public Buildings During Wildland Fire Smoke Events in May 2025. The guide offers practical, clear, and concise advice about HVAC operations and maintenance, identifying and sealing gaps in the building envelope, selecting and using portable air cleaners, and understanding and using data from indoor air sensors. The appendices provide Smoke Ready checklists to help get you started and an example Smoke Ready Plan to demonstrate the guide in action. This resource will be valuable for facility managers, school administrators, and public health organizations focused on protecting children’s health in schools.

Flags of different colors representing different levels of outdoor air pollution.

Air quality flag program

One way to get students involved in learning about outdoor air quality – and the impacts it can have on indoor air quality – is EPA's Air Quality Flag Program. This program is a simple resource for teachers and schools to keep communities informed about air quality using colorful flags based on EPA’s Air Quality Index (AQI). This program’s colorful flags reflect the daily outdoor air quality forecast; crucial information during times when smoke can significantly impact air quality and pose health risks. Raising a flag each day helps everyone make informed decisions about outdoor activities, ensuring children can enjoy safe play while protecting their health. For added convenience, you can also virtually display AQI flags or install an AQI widget for timely updates on school screens. Visit the Air Quality Flag Program website to learn which flag to fly and promote a healthy learning environment for children.

EPA debuts a new graphic for the IAQ Tools for Schools program

As you may have noticed in the banner at the top of this newsletter, EPA has started using a new graphic to represent the IAQ Tools for Schools program. This new icon and the accompanying text are designed to be more legible and better depict some of the physical tools in a school’s IAQ toolbox. You can expect to find this graphic on future IAQ Tools for Schools resources and outreach materials. EPA will continue to feature the previous school icon on existing resources.

EPA grantee resources

A cutaway graphic of a classroom showing the HVAC system and airflow.

A section of the Center for Green Schools' Ventilation fact sheet.

The U.S. Green Building Council’s Center for Green Schools

The Center for Green Schools, in partnership with the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), has published a series of School IAQ Fact Sheets. These concise, easy-to-understand resources are designed for school staff and decision-makers without a technical background, helping them make informed choices about IAQ. The series includes an overview, which gives a foundation on school IAQ strategies and standards, as well as eight fact sheets covering specific topics including ventilation, HVAC filtration, germicidal ultraviolet systems, IAQ monitoring, and more.

The Center for Green Schools is also hosting a webinar on developing IAQ management plans and two in-person workshops on energy efficient IAQ planning. Register for the September 9 webinar to hear from school district facility leaders and state governments discussing the development and implementation of robust IAQ management plans. School staff can sign up for the free in-person workshops in Boston, MA on October 14 and Los Angeles, CA on November 6. There are also a limited number of travel reimbursements available to staff that live more than 2 hours away from the locations. Learn more about the workshops and register today.

The American Lung Association

The American Lung Association is encouraging schools to sign up for their Clean Air School Challenge. By signing up, schools are indicating their willingness to assess their building’s IAQ and develop an Energy Efficient Indoor Air Quality Management Plan. Schools can learn more about how they can benefit from this program and sign up to participate on the Clean Air School Challenge website.

The American Lung Association also recently published a Case Study in Assessing IAQ in a Small School District.

The Go Green Initiative

The Go Green Initiative, in partnership with the National School Boards Association (NSBA) and their state affiliates, is providing education and training for school staff, administrators, and school board officials involved in improving school IAQ across all 50 states. As part of these efforts, GGI is hosting a monthly webinar series highlighting school IAQ topics and showcasing successful school district case studies. Learn more and register for these upcoming webinars:

August 12: American Lung Association State-by-State IAQ Regulations for Schools.
September 9: How to Earn the NSBA Magna Award for IAQ Management.

The New York State Department of Health

Learn more about their School Environmental Health Program and explore their school resources.

The University of Utah

Visit the University of Utah’s Clean Air Schools for U website to learn about their work with schools and sign up to participate in their program.

Learn more about the IAQ Tools for Schools guidance and access other valuable school environmental health resources at www.epa.gov/iaq-schools.

If you have questions about the IAQ Tools for Schools guidance, please contact iaqschools@epa.gov.

Learn more about Indoor Air Quality.

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