What is school environmental health?

School environmental health is the way the physical environment influences the health and well-being of the occupants.

How does the school environment affect health?

A school’s environmental health can impact the health of its occupants. Examples of environmental factors that can contribute to health symptoms are indoor air quality, mold or excess moisture, pests and pesticides, and lead. Temperature, lighting, and noise levels can also negatively impact health if not properly controlled. These factors can lead to asthma symptoms or attacks, respiratory symptoms, headaches, and the transmission of viral and bacterial-related illnesses.

How does the school environment affect other outcomes?

A school’s environmental health can have impacts on absenteeism, employee and student retention and satisfaction, academic performance, and test scores. Also, costly expenditures on energy, repairs, maintenance, and clean-ups increase operation costs for the school.

Health and Safety Committees are required by law for New York State public schools. Ideally, nonpublic schools also create these committees. Fully developed and efficiently functioning Health and Safety Committees are integral to responding to and preventing environmental health concerns in schools.

The New York State Education Department (NYSED) provides suggestions to guide districts in establishing Health and Safety Committees and defining the duties of the committee.

New York State has laws and regulations that schools should be following to assist in creating healthy school environments.

• Lead Testing in School Drinking Water. 10 CRR-NY Subpart 67-4: Lead Testing in School Drinking Water.
• Asbestos Reinspection. NYS Education Department summary.
• Building Condition Survey. 8 CRR-NY 155.4. Uniform Code of Public School Building Inspections, Safety Rating and Monitoring.
  • Building Condition Survey Aid: Please read carefully to avoid loss of aid. Help from the New York State Education Department.
  • Building Condition Survey/ Annual Visual Inspection. Current Building Condition Survey and information, previous Building Condition Surveys and Annual Visual Inspection reports, and information on the elimination of the Annual Visual Inspection.
• School Health Services
  • 8 CRR-NY 136.1 Definitions. Or Commissioner's Regulations CR 136.1.
  • 8 CRR-NY 136.2 General Regulations. Or Commissioner's Regulations CR 136.2.
  • Article 19- Section 901- School health services to be provided; and Section 902- Employment of health professionals.
• Part 155 Regulations. NYS Education Department summary. Educational Facilities.
• Uniform Safety Standards for School Construction and Maintenance Projects. 8 CRR-NY 155.5
• Green Cleaning in Schools. New York State Education Department Implementation of the Green Cleaning Law.
• Green Cleaning Law. Chapter 584 of the Laws of 2005. An act to amend the education law and the state finance law, in relation to the procurement and use of environmentally sensitive cleaning and maintenance products in schools.
  • Joint Letter from Commissioners to School Administrators.
  • Policies, Guidelines, and Reports on the Procurement and Use of Environmentally Sensitive Cleaning and Maintenance Products for Elementary and Secondary Schools.
• Guidelines for the Health and Safety Committee. NYS Education Department summary.
  • 8 CRR-NY 155.4. Uniform Code of Public School Building Inspections, Safety Rating and Monitoring.
  • 8 CRR-NY 155.5. Uniform Safety Standards for School Construction and Maintenance Projects.
• Idling School Buses on School Grounds. Education Law 3637.
• Safety Regulations for School Bus Drivers, Monitors, Attendants, and Pupils. NYS Education Department summary.
  • 8 CRR-NY 156.3 Safety Regulations for School Bus Drivers, Monitors, Attendants, and Pupils.
• Heavy Duty Vehicle Idling Laws. NYS Department of Environmental Conservation summary.
  • 6 CRR-NY 217-3.1 Applicability.
  • 6 CRR-NY 217-3.2 Prohibitions.
  • 6 CRR-NY 217-3.3 Exceptions.
• Notice of Pesticide Application Law. Excerpt from New York State Education Law, Title 1, Article 9, Section 409-h. Requirements for notification of pesticide application [source: NYS Education Department 2/7/2008].
• Guidance on Chapter 85, Laws of 2010. Summary of Pesticide Prohibition Requirements and Pesticide Alternatives Regarding Schools and Day Care Centers in New York State. December 22, 2010.
• School Pesticide Neighbor Notification Law. 8 CRR-NY 155.24. School pesticide neighbor notification.
  • School Pesticide Neighbor Notification Law Reminder. Questions and answers about this law.
• Chemical Storage Guidelines. This publication is intended to provide school faculty and staff with guidelines pursuant to New York State Education Law, '305(19) Chapter 627 of the Laws of 1989.
• Licensing requirements for mold contractors, assessors, and workers. New York State Department of Labor Mold Program summary.
  • Law Governing Mold Remediation Assessors and Contractors. Laws of New York, 2014 Chapter 551. An Act to amend the labor law, in relation to requiring the licensure of mold assessment and remediation specialists and setting minimum work standards for mold assessment and remediation specialists; and to amend the state finance law, in relation to enacting the mold assessment and remediation account.
    • Chapter amendment.
• New York Codes, Rules and Regulations. Free access to the rules and regulations of New York State agencies.

• Indoor Air Quality
• Radon
• Mold and Moisture
• Managing Chemicals
• Green Cleaning
• Lead Testing in School Drinking Water

• Administrative Staff Checklist and Backgrounder
• Building and Grounds Maintenance Checklist and Backgrounder.
• Food Service Checklist and Backgrounder
• Health Officer/School Nurse Checklist and Backgrounder
• IAQ Management Checklist and Backgrounder
• Integrated Pest Management Checklist and Backgrounder
• Renovation and Repairs Checklist and Backgrounder
• School Official's Checklist and Backgrounder
• Teacher's Classroom Checklist and Backgrounder
• Ventilation Checklist and Backgrounder
• Walkthrough Inspection Checklist and Backgrounder

• Presentations:
  • Electric Bus Panel - A Time for Planning and Not Panicking
  • Green Cleaning and Safer Disinfecting
  • Humans Only - Keeping Pests Out of School Building
  • Mold and Moisture
  • NYC Experience with Indoor Air Quality and COVID
  • NYC School System's Clean Energy Transitions
  • NYS School Lead in Drinking Water Program
  • Overview of Indoor Air Quality
  • Pesticide Use in Schools

2024 SEHP Conference Presentations

• Asthma
• Viral Transmissions & Other Health Effects