The Benefits of Classroom Ventilation

We’ve talked about how poor indoor environmental conditions can lead to more sick days in office buildings, but what is the impact of poor indoor air quality in schools? Furthermore, how does the cost of improving those conditions compare to attendance-linked funding losses? A study of 150 classrooms in elementary schools in California investigated ventilation rates and their impact on rates of student absence, and the subsequent economic impacts.

California’s school districts would gain $33 million annually in attendance-linked funding

State standards for California mandate a minimum ventilation rate of 7.1 litres of air per second per person – a standard that was frequently not met (up to 95% of the time for classrooms surveyed in the Central Valley, for example). If all classrooms were brought up to that minimum standard, student absence due to illness would be reduced by approximately 3.4%. The study found that “California’s school districts would gain $33 million annually in attendance-linked funding and families would avoid an estimated $80 million in caregiver costs due to having a sick child at home.” Those figures don’t take into account the reduced costs related to sick leave for staff and teachers and reduced health care costs for students. Additionally, the researchers note, in many parts of California, bringing ventilation rates up to standard could be accomplished without replacing ventilation equipment. The price tage of bringing ventilation rates up to standard? $4 million in energy costs. That math comes out in favor of bringing classrooms up to standard. The researchers noted there were likely other benefits not included in the study, such as reduced costs related to sick leave for teachers and staff and reduced health care costs for students. They also noted that, in most parts of California, replacing ventilation equipment would probably not be necessary to increase the ventilation rates.