Navigate the School Siting Guidelines
The School Siting Guidelines have been designed as PDF documents with a website component to allow for easy access to specific resources.
This page is intended to help different audiences find the information they are looking for faster. Below are suggestions:
- for Parents, teachers, and the public
- for Local education agency (LEA) officials and school siting committee (SSC) members
- for State officials and staff
- for Tribal officials and staff
Parents, teachers, and the public
- The About the Guidelines page gives a basic overview of the guidelines and information about some of the considerations that go into establishing school siting criteria locally and the key stages of environmental review.
- The Frequent Questions page provides answers to many of the most common questions, such as:
- Do the guidelines apply retroactively to previous siting decisions?
- Isn't an uncontaminated site always the best location for a new school?
- What cleanup or remediation of contamination at a school site should be completed before the school is occupied?
- Shouldn't schools be built as far away from major pollution-generating sources as possible?
- What can I do to protect my child right now from environmental hazards at their current school?
- Review the Meaningful Public Involvement section, which includes a chart of key Public Engagement Points and Strategies when public input will be particularly important.
- View or print the Meaningful Public Involvement section (PDF) (14 pp, 366 K)
- View or print the all guidelines sections
- Use the Resources page to find additional information on the kinds of issues often encountered during the siting process.
Local education agency (LEA) officials or others with siting responsibilities, and School Siting Committee (SSC) members
- Read basic information about the Guidelines.
- View or print the guidelines to follow and understand EPA's recommendations for considering environmental factors in school siting decisions.
- Use the Resources page of the website to find additional information on the kinds of issues often encountered during the siting process.
- Review the Frequent Questions and Public Involvement in Developing the Guidelines pages to get an overview of how EPA is addressing many of the key issues in the guidelines.
State officials and staff
- Read basic information about the Guidelines.
- Read the Recommendations for States section of the guidelines:
- View or print the Recommendations for States and Tribes (PDF) (12 pp, 276 K)
- View or print the all guidelines sections
- Review the Frequent Questions page to get an overview of how EPA is addressing many of the key issues, including this one:
- Click on the Resources page to find additional information on the kinds of issues often encountered during the siting process.
Tribal officials and staff
- Read basic information about the Guidelines
- Read the Recommendations for Tribes section of the guidelines:
- View and print the Recommendations for States and Tribes (PDF) (12 pp, 276 K)
- View or print the all guidelines sections
- Review the Frequent Questions page to get an overview of how EPA is addressing many of the key issues, including this one:
- Click on the Resources page to find additional information on the kinds of issues often encountered during the siting process.