New York State School Environmental Health Program

school bus, children playing on turf field, girl drinking from water fountain

August Panel Discussion: Extreme Heat and the Hot Classrooms Law

On Thursday, August 21st at 1:00 pm, join the School Environmental Health Program for a panel discussion on Extreme Heat and Education Law 409-n (Hot Classrooms Law). The discussion is an informal one-hour conversation. Panelists include representatives from NYSED's Office of Facilities Planning, Eastern Suffolk BOCES' Regional Occupational Safety and Health Services, NYC Public School's Division of Facilities, Rochester City School District's Department of Environmental Health and Safety, and the NYS School Environmental Health Program team.

Come prepared with your questions and feel free to share your experiences! Register here.

Upcoming Indoor Air Quality Matters Conference November 6, 2025

This free conference provides practical solutions for school personnel about school environmental health from subject matter experts.

  • Learn about the factors that influence indoor air quality.
  • See how schools across the state have improved their indoor air.
  • Get ready to engage and connect with others who share your commitment to student and staff well-being.
Radon testing and mitigation, IAQ monitoring, and integrative pest management are just some of the topics that will be discussed.

The conference will take place on Thursday, November 6 from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm at the Best Western Plus Kingston Hotel and Conference Center in Kingston, New York. Register today!

About Us

The NYS School Environmental Health Program is a voluntary, non-regulatory program that emphasizes practical steps that are low or no-cost. Materials and information on this website will help you self-assess and take appropriate actions to create healthier learning and working environments for all students and staff across New York State.

The program offers:

  • Free resources to familiarize yourself with our environmental health focus areas
  • Self-assessment tools  
  • Access to technical assistance from a wide range of experts

Resources by Topic

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.