Is your school safe? Read this new report to ensure a healthy environment for your kids

Students in at least seven school districts in Western Pennsylvania had extended summer vacations this year. Not because of teacher strikes, construction projects, or other issues that often delay the start of fall semesters.

The culprit?

Mold, which infested multiple schools in the region.

The school closings coincided with the release of Healthy Schools PA, a report issued by Women for a Healthy Environment (WHE) that measured environmental hazards in schools.

The study was done to identify a baseline as a point of comparison for future studies.

“We can do this on a bi-annual basis to see if the needle changes, to see if we’re making progress in the region in terms of putting funding aside, taking some pro-active measures to address these issues,” says Michelle Naccarati-Chapkis, executive director of WHE, a non-profit advocacy group that educates the public about environmental risks.

The report – the first of its kind by WHE – contains feedback from 92 schools (72 percent of all area schools) in the 10 counties that comprise Western Pennsylvania. Naccarati-Chapkis believes the report paints an accurate picture of the region’s scholastic environmental health.

Some of the findings are discouraging. Notably, 44 percent of schools did not answer whether they tested water supplies for lead or other contaminants. That point raises concerns that schools either rely on local water authorities for testing, which is not a true reflection of water in school buildings, or they only test water for regulated use, as in swimming pools.

“Knowing that a lot of schools at the time of our request indicated that they hadn’t tested their water supply was an opportunity to raise awareness that they need to do that,” Naccarati-Chapkis says, “especially as it relates to lead in drinking water.”

Even more distressing, she says: “What we hear from the school community was that some schools were reluctant to test for lead in drinking water because, frankly, they were concerned with the results. And if they had lead presence, they wouldn’t have the funding to seek the remediation action. Our communication with school districts is: You have an obligation to make sure everybody in a school building has no exposure to lead.”

One solution to possible lead contamination is relatively inexpensive: filtered water stations and blocking access to fountains and sinks that contain lead components.

Other issues outlined in Healthy Schools PA:

• School districts use an average of 25 different cleaning products. Only 14 percent use at least one type of environmentally friendly cleaning product.
• More than half of school districts do not have anti-idling signage, as required by state law.
• Asthma rates in 22 school districts exceeded the state average.
• Only 31 percent of school districts conduct radon testing. Of these, 28 percent reported radon levels above the acceptable limit.

One of the reasons many environmental issues aren’t addressed is because school districts worry about financial considerations.

“That’s one of our calls to action,” Naccarati-Chapkis says. “As we talk about funding for schools at the state level in terms of achieving greater academic performance, we also need to think about funding for these schools as it relates to the environment. The students occupy that space on a daily basis, and one is just as important as the other.”

There are inexpensive measures school districts can take to address environmental concerns. Daily cleaning alleviates dust levels. Regular inspections of chipped or peeling paint will reduce lead exposure. And a quick inventory of cleaning supplies can result in reduced costs.

“We have some school districts with dozens and dozens of different (cleaning products) used in their buildings,” Naccarati-Chapkis says. “If they really thought about it and embraced a green cleaning program, they will significantly reduce the number of products they purchase on an annual basis. A handful of products will work effectively, and they’re protecting the people who use those products.”

School districts can apply for 1000 Hours a Year Project mini-grants administered by WHE for up to $7,500 per building to test and remediate for lead and radon. WHE also will help start school health committees and provide free consultations for any environmental concerns.

Parents can take some control of their school, too. Each of the points in the report offers a “call to action” to address the issue.

Another way to get involved and become better educated is to register for the third annual Healthy Schools Summit planned for Oct. 26.