Policy for Healthy School Environments

In partnership with CDC-DASH and many collaborators, NASBE has developed research-based, best practice model policy language on various school health topics that states, districts, and schools can adopt or adapt for themselves. The points they address were suggested by the CDC's scientifically rigorous school health guidelines, state and local policies, and comments from expert reviewers.

For further explanation of this model policy, see Chapter C (Part I) of Fit, Healthy, and Ready to Learn.

Note: NASBE offers its model policy language free of copyright; courtesy attribution is requested. Users will need to adapt this model policy to fit their state and local education governance structure and established policy format, particularly the phrases in italics.

HEALTHY LEARNING ENVIRONMENT PLAN. Each district/school shall develop, implement, and monitor a healthy learning environment plan designed to optimize conditions for learning and minimize human exposure to indoor and outdoor hazardous chemicals, allergens, irritants, and pollutants. The plan, which shall be approved by the school health council, reported to the state education agency, and updated every three years, shall address the following elements:

  • an assessment of environmental factors that can enhance or detract from student learning and comfort, including lighting, ventilation, temperature, noise, availability of drinking water quality, and sanitation facilities;
  • an assessment of environmental factors that are potentially harmful to human health, including tobacco smoke, pests, mold, pollen, dust mites, animal dander, chalk dust, cleaning agents, scented and unscented personal care products, volatile organic chemicals (VOCs), laboratory chemicals, unvented fumes, vehicle exhaust, asbestos, lead and other substances in drinking water, arsenic-treated lumber, radon, and excessive exposure to the sun;
  • a plan for the physically-isolated storage, safe usage, and proper disposal of cleaning agents and other hazardous chemicals that cannot be eliminated from school buildings and grounds;
  • procedures to ensure the schools' ongoing compliance with maintenance schedules for the clean and efficient operation of heating, ventilation, and plumbing systems;
  • procedures for minimizing human exposure to the exhaust of school buses and other vehicles;
  • procedures for daily monitoring of outdoor air quality and for providing indoor alternatives for student physical activity on days with poor air quality;
  • mechanisms for resolving cases of hazardous chemical exposure and air and water quality problems as they occur; and
  • specific action steps, strategies, and long-term goals to address identified issues of concern.

HEALTHY LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS IN NEWLY CONSTRUCTED OR RENOVATED BUILDINGS. All school construction or renovation projects shall optimize student learning by providing adequate heat, ventilation, lighting, safe drinking water, sanitation, and noise control, and minimizing human exposure to indoor and outdoor allergens, irritants, hazardous chemicals, pollutants, and ultraviolet radiation.

TOBACCO USE PROHIBITED. No student, staff member, or school visitor is permitted to smoke, inhale, dip, or chew tobacco at any time, including non-school hours:

  • in any building, facility, or vehicle owned, leased, rented, or chartered by the state/district/school;
  • on any school grounds, including athletic fields and parking lots; or
  • at any off campus school-sponsored event.

In addition, no student shall be permitted to possess a tobacco product while on school property. The provisions of existing policies that address the use and possession of drugs shall apply to all tobacco products.

No student may leave the school campus during breaks in the school day to use a tobacco product. Signs to this effect will be posted at appropriate locations. School authorities shall consult with local law enforcement agencies to enforce laws that prohibit the possession of tobacco by minors within the immediate proximity of school grounds.

Tobacco promotional items, including clothing, bags, lighters, and other personal articles, shall not be permitted on school grounds, in school vehicles, or at school-sponsored events. Tobacco advertising shall be prohibited in all school-sponsored publications and at all school-sponsored events.

The superintendent/principal/other shall notify students, families, education personnel, and school visitors of the tobacco-free policy in handbooks and newsletters, on posted notices or signs at every school entrance and other appropriate locations, and by other efficient means. To the extent possible, schools and districts will make use of local media to publicize the policies and help influence community norms about tobacco use.

It is the responsibility of all students, employees, and visitors to enforce this policy through verbal admonition. Any tobacco product found in the possession of a minor student shall be confiscated by staff and discarded. Students and employees who violate a school's tobacco-free policies also may be subject to disciplinary actions as determined by written school policy. All school staff shall participate in training on the correct and fair enforcement of tobacco-free policies.

ANIMALS AND BIRDS. Live animals with fur or feathers shall not be kept inside classroom buildings because they are a significant asthma "trigger," with the exception of assistive animals such as seeing-eye dogs.

INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT. Integrated pest management (IPM) and control programs designed to prevent pest infestations and minimize human exposure to pesticides shall be implemented in all school buildings and on all school grounds.

OUTDOOR AIR POLLUTION. School/district office shall be responsible for daily monitoring of Air Quality Index (AQI) information provided by air pollution control agency/health department/local media outlet, and for promptly alerting each school principal of elevated air quality alerts (i.e., code orange and above). Principals shall make decisions about reducing students' exposure to air pollution based on individual risk factors and the following guidelines:

  • When the AQI is 'code orange' (unhealthy for sensitive groups of people), students with a history of reactions to ozone exposure will be permitted to reduce their outdoor exertion level or time spent outdoors, and the school will arrange alternative indoor physical activities. The school nurse/designated health aide will monitor such students for symptoms of respiratory distress.
  • When the AQI is 'code red' (unhealthy), students with a history of reactions to ozone exposure will remain indoors and participate in indoor physical activities. The school nurse/designated health aide will monitor such students for symptoms of respiratory distress. All other students will not be allowed to engage in more than one hour of heavy exertion (i.e., in activities that involve high-intensity exercise such as basketball, soccer, and running) while outdoors.
  • When the AQI is 'code purple' (very unhealthy) or 'code maroon' (hazardous), all students will be kept indoors and participate in indoor physical activities. The school nurse/designated health aide will monitor all students for symptoms of respiratory distress.

DIESEL SCHOOL BUS EXHAUST. To minimize potentially harmful emissions, drivers shall turn off diesel school bus engines as soon as they arrive at a loading or unloading area and not restart until ready to depart. Idling for engine warm-up will be as brief as possible. Diesel school buses must be parked and loaded at a sufficient distance from school buildings to prevent diesel fumes from being drawn into school ventilation systems.

The district/school shall endeavor to retrofit diesel engines with exhaust-reduction equipment or purchase low-emission vehicles to the greatest feasible extent.

< Prev