Mold in Schools and Childcare Facilities

Children spend much of their week in school and childcare environments. Those buildings vary enormously in indoor air quality — from gleaming new construction to century-old schoolhouses with deferred maintenance. Mold and indoor air quality issues in educational settings deserve special attention because children are uniquely vulnerable.

Why children are more vulnerable

Children are not small adults when it comes to environmental exposures:

- **Higher breathing rate per pound of body weight** means greater dose - **Developing respiratory systems** are more sensitive to irritants - **Developing immune systems** respond differently to chronic exposures - **More time at ground level** during early years means more particulate exposure - **Hand-to-mouth behavior** in young children transfers contamination - **Longer remaining lifespan** for chronic effects to develop

Children with asthma — and asthma rates have risen substantially over recent decades — are particularly affected. School environments with poor air quality can trigger acute symptoms and contribute to chronic asthma development.

Why schools often have IAQ issues

**Aging infrastructure.** Many Long Island schools occupy buildings 50-100 years old. Original construction wasn't designed for current ventilation expectations.

**Renovation history.** Schools renovate in pieces over decades. Each renovation may create unintended IAQ consequences.

**Budget pressure.** Public school maintenance budgets are stretched. HVAC service, roof maintenance, and ventilation improvements get deferred.

**Occupancy density.** Classrooms hold many people per square foot, generating CO2, humidity, and bioaerosols at high rates.

**Cleaning practices.** Cleaning products and their VOCs are significant contributors to school IAQ challenges.

**Portable classrooms.** Temporary buildings often have inadequate ventilation and develop moisture problems over time.

**Aging HVAC.** School HVAC systems often run far past designed service life. Failures distribute contamination broadly.

What parents can do

If you have concerns about your child's school:

**Document symptoms.** Note whether symptoms correlate with school days vs. weekends and breaks. This pattern strongly suggests environmental cause.

**Talk to teachers and administrators.** Are other children experiencing similar issues? Are classroom conditions concerning?

**Request information.** Schools should be able to provide information about HVAC service history, ventilation rates, and any past IAQ assessments.

**Engage your pediatrician.** A medical opinion supporting environmental investigation carries weight in school discussions.

**Consider escalation.** PTA, school board, district facilities department, and ultimately state Department of Education are paths if local response is inadequate.

**Independent assessment.** Parents or PTAs occasionally commission independent IAQ assessment. We've done this work.

What schools and administrators should do

**Proactive IAQ programs.** EPA's "Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools" framework provides structured guidance for schools to address IAQ.

**Regular assessment.** Buildings should be assessed periodically — not just when complaints arise.

**Transparent communication.** When issues are identified, share information appropriately with staff and parents.

**Address root causes.** Surface treatments don't fix systemic problems.

**Proper remediation.** Licensed contractors, proper protocols, and verification testing.

**Maintenance investment.** Preventive maintenance is far cheaper than crisis response.

Childcare facilities

Private childcare facilities face many of the same challenges as schools, often in spaces not originally designed for childcare use. Common issues:

- Basement childcare spaces with moisture issues - Home-based childcare in residences with undisclosed IAQ problems - Older buildings with deferred maintenance - Inadequate ventilation in rooms with high occupancy density

New York licensing of childcare facilities includes some environmental considerations, but specific IAQ testing isn't routinely required.

Special concerns: portable classrooms

Portable or "modular" classrooms deserve particular scrutiny. Construction quality varies widely. HVAC systems are often inadequately sized. Moisture problems develop and aren't easily addressed because of construction methods. Many portables sit in service for decades despite being designed as temporary.

If your child is in a portable classroom and symptoms suggest environmental cause, IAQ assessment of that specific structure is warranted.

What HBH provides for schools and childcare

We work with: - School districts considering proactive assessment programs - PTAs and parent groups commissioning independent evaluation - Childcare facility operators - Private schools - Religious schools and religious early childhood programs

Our assessments include classroom-level air sampling, HVAC review, moisture mapping, and reports formatted for school administration audiences.

**Concerned about a school or childcare facility?** Call HBH at (631) 774-6502 to discuss.