IAQ Actions for Parents

Every member of the school community plays a role in monitoring and improving indoor air quality (IAQ) in your school. By becoming IAQ-conscious and taking some simple actions, you can make a real impact on the health and productivity of all members of the school. Listed below are some simple actions that can make an immediate difference.

Parents can play a role by communicating with school officials and assisting their efforts to maintain and improve the quality of air that their children breathe.

Assess your own home

• Mold, pests, dust mites, chemicals and other IAQ problems can be found in homes.
• Children spend more time at home than in school. Exposures may occur at home and symptoms can be delayed.

Communicate

• Report your IAQ concerns, preferably in writing, directly to the school district IAQ Coordinator.
• Report your child’s sensitivities to specific indoor allergens to the school nurse so that the school officials can try to take measures to prevent your child's symptoms.
• Discuss your child's health with your physician to determine whether your child's symptoms are caused by an environmental cause or some other cause.

Volunteer

• If you are skilled in an IAQ related field (such as ventilation engineering, building sciences, industrial hygiene, architecture) volunteer your services to help with IAQ projects. This will save your district money that can be spent on other needs.
• If your district has an IAQ or Health and Safety Team, volunteer to be a parent representative.

Support levy initiatives to pay for health and safety programs and IAQ related improvements.

• Much of the IAQ related work in public schools is funded through the health and safety budget, which may be levied.
• Some IAQ problems can only be addressed through expensive renovations, such as a ventilation system upgrade or a roof replacement.

Resource

Adapted from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s "Actions to Improve Indoor Air Quality" EPA 402-F-99-008.