Indoor Air Quality for Schools Case Studies

The following case studies are snapshots of school districts that have implemented the IAQ Tools for Schools guidance successfully — detailing how they have worked to achieve this success. Each profile demonstrates strategies from the Framework for Effective School IAQ Management that schools have applied to create effective and enduring IAQ programs.

Read the profiles below to learn how school districts from across the country have overcome barriers to launch and develop accomplished programs — regardless of location, size, budget or facility conditions.


IAQ Tools for Schools Case Studies

School District Demographics Description

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 and 17,000 staff

Used the IAQ Tools for Schools Framework to strengthen existing programs and leverage a proactive approach to environmental issues.

Blue Valley School District

Suburban district in Overland Park, KS

  • 38 facilities ranging from 0-88 years old
  • 21,000 students and 3,100 staff

Built momentum and secured support for facility investments by linking IAQ management to student performance.

The School Board of Broward County

Urban district in the Fort Lauderdale, FL area

  • 258 facilities ranging from 0-80 years old
  • 255,203 students and 35,000 staff
Created a collaborative approach to IAQ management that brought together:
  • Parents
  • Unions
  • Teachers
  • Facilities
  • and operations and maintenance staff

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools

Urban district in Charlotte, NC

  • 650 buildings, 970 mobile units, 176 schools ranging from 0-80 years old
  • 140,000 students and 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.

Hartford Public Schools

Urban district in Hartford, CT (sixth highest poverty rate among large U.S. cities)

  • 48 facilities ranging from 0-128 years old
  • 22,500 students and 3,700 staff

Used the IAQ Tools for Schools guidance to coordinate school health and facilities functions across the district and engage community organizations in an effort to address asthma.

Katy Independent School District

Rapidly growing suburban district outside of Houston, TX

  • 68 facilities ranging from 0-50 years old
  • 60,857 students and 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.

Newark Public Schools

Urban district in Newark, NJ

  • 102 facilities ranging from 0-161 years old
  • 42,000 students and 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.

North East Independent School District

Urban district in San Antonio, TX

  • 65 school facilities ranging from 0-56 years old
  • 66,000 students and 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.

West Carrollton School District

Suburban district near Dayton, OH

  • 7 facilities ranging from 40-90 years old
  • 3,675 students and 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.

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