Airy classrooms aid learning, study says

By Emily Richmond

Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2002 | 11:13 a.m.

Poor Air Quality

About 15,000 schools have poor indoor air quality, affecting more than 8 million schoolchildren, the U.S. General Accounting Office reports. A recent study shows that the better the overall environment, the more likely children are to learn. Causes of a "sick school" include:

Airborne dust, dirt, lead or asbestos.

Chemicals from building materials, carpets, furniture or office equipment.

Bacteria, mold and mildew from contaminated air conditioning systems, water supplies or classroom materials.

Source: National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities

Clark County School District officials say a national study on the link between the environmental quality of school facilities and student achievement backs up what they've long believed -- children in well-lighted, airy classrooms are better able to learn.

The report, released by the National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities in Washington, found students in schools with comfortable temperatures, light and ventilation had less absenteeism and were able to pay closer attention to their class work.

"A healthy indoor environment is paramount," said Judy Marks, associate director of the educational facilities clearinghouse, which maintains the U.S. Education Department's research database. "If kids can't breathe, they can't learn. They need to be able to see the board, hear the teacher and have adequate space to move around."

The Clark County School District is about a third of the way through its 10-year plan to build 88 new schools, breaking ground on a new site nearly every month. The plan is paid for through a $3.5 billion bond program approved by voters in 1998.

"We've been working long and hard on this," said Dale Scheideman, director of planning and engineering for the school district. "Our goal is to get every one of our schools, both new and old, up to the highest of standards."

That has meant floor plans that maximize exposure to natural light, dust-free marker boards instead of chalk boards and use of the latest designs for ventilation, heating and cooling, Scheideman said.

But some school district critics say the study's findings highlight the inequalities in the school district's construction program. While new schools are being opened on schedule, repairs and renovations to older campuses in less affluent neighborhoods have fallen behind, Assemblyman Wendell Williams, D-Las Vegas, said.

"A person moves to a new development here today and their kids automatically go to a new school," said Williams, who chairs the Assembly Committee on Education. "Then across town you have kids stuck in falling-down buildings even though their parents are the ones who have been here, paying taxes, for years."

Williams, who has called for an independent audit of the school district's construction program, said he frequently hears complaints from parents whose children are in schools with poor lighting, insufficient heat or air conditioning and decrepit playgrounds.

"We're building plenty of new schools, which we need, but we're leaving the others behind," Williams said. "It's a travesty that some children living in older neighborhoods are being sent to classrooms that should have been torn down and replaced decades ago."

Clark County School Board member Mary Beth Scow said making older schools the equal of newer facilities is "absolutely a priority" for the district. While renovation work did fall behind, much of the slack has been picked up since the board approved the hiring of more than 100 new facilities employees, Scow said.

"We're talking about a tremendous list of difficult work that needs to be accomplished," said Scow, who represents the southeast region of the district. "Sometimes we get criticized for not moving quickly enough, but I believe we're doing a very good job."

The national study included data from the General Accounting Office, linking student absenteeism to health problems by so-called "sick buildings." Environmental factors -- such as asbestos exposure, mold and bacteria -- are considered contributing factors to a building's health status.

Schoolchildren in the United States miss more than 10 million class days each year because of asthma and respiratory problems aggravated by poor indoor air quality, the study found. According to the American Lung Association and the Centers for Disease Control, Nevada has one of the highest rates of childhood asthma in the country.

The study of school facilities also focused on the dangers of mold exposure, which has been linked to health problems in some studies. The so-called "black mold," or stachybortrys chartarum, has been found throughout Southern Nevada, including in residences, Clark County government office buildings, state hospitals and schools.

Studies have linked black mold to chronic fatigue, suppression of the immune system and breathing problems.

Because urban schools tend to be older and in need of repairs, it's likely that more "sick schools" occur in those neighborhoods, Marks said. At the same time, studies show it's lower-income students who most benefit from improved learning environments, Marks said.

"It's a conflict for school districts," Marks said. "On the one hand, they know a certain portion of the student population would benefit from a campus that incorporates everything we know about a healthy learning environment. On the other hand, there's a steep cost associated with that, and for some districts the funds simply aren't there."

Moises Denis, treasurer of the Nevada state PTA, said he would like to see the Clark County School District put more energy into fixing up older schools, particularly those in impoverished areas.

"A lot of these children are having a hard enough time as it is before they even get to the classroom," Denis said. "The district needs to be as responsive to fixing up the old schools as they're being in designing new ones."

Jan Villaire, assistant director of environmental services for the school district, said her office receives about 1,500 calls each year regarding complaints or concerns about facilities. The majority of the calls involve plumbing problems, sewer line breaks and leaking roofs, Villaire said.

Occasionally black mold has been found and removed from inside a facility, Villaire said. Complaints of mold often turn out to be nothing more than water stains, Villaire said.

Villaire said she was unaware of any complaints of breathing problems from students or staff that were tied to the school's environment.

"Sometimes someone will say they're feeling sick and blame it on the building," Villaire said. "But when we get out there and investigate there's nothing to be found. The causes of a lot of these health problems are vague, which sometimes can be the most frustrating thing in the world."