Grant Funding to Address Indoor Air Pollution at Schools

On this page:

• Overview of Grant Program
• Background
• Grant Recipients
• Important Dates
• Grant Documents
• Past Events: Stakeholder Engagement

On other pages:

• Air Grants and Funding

---

Overview of Grant Program

The Inflation Reduction Act provided funding for grants to “monitor and reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other air pollutants at schools in low-income and disadvantaged communities.” Grantees will assist K-12 schools in low-income, disadvantaged, and Tribal communities in the development and adoption of comprehensive indoor air quality (IAQ) management plans to address air pollution and energy efficiency consistent with EPA’s recommended best practices. 

---

Background

EPA studies of human exposure to air pollutants indicate that indoor levels of pollutants may be two to five times — and occasionally more than 100 times — higher than outdoor levels. Often, indoor air quality is poor because indoor sources of air pollution, like mold, are not controlled and the pollutant levels can become concentrated without adequate ventilation of fresh outdoor air. These levels of indoor air pollutants are of concern because most people spend about 90 percent of their time indoors. Indoor pollution in schools is a particular concern because children’s developing bodies breathe more air in proportion to their body weight than adults.

Good IAQ is a critical component of a healthy indoor environment and can help schools achieve their primary goal of educating children. Good IAQ management includes:

• Control of airborne pollutants.
• Introduction and distribution of adequate outdoor air.
• Maintenance of acceptable temperature and relative humidity.

Failure to prevent or respond promptly to IAQ problems can increase long- and short-term health effects for students and staff, increase absenteeism, reduce academic performance, and shorten the lifespan and effectiveness of facility systems and equipment. Examples of the health effects of indoor air pollution include coughing, respiratory diseases, allergic reactions, and aggravated asthma. 

EPA and the broader scientific community have also identified significant risks to children’s health and the environment from greenhouse gas emissions that fuel climate change. These risks include exposure to wildfire smoke, insect- and tick-related diseases and heat illnesses in children who often spend more time outdoors than adults. Implementing energy efficiency measures while simultaneously improving IAQ in schools can help mitigate climate and pollution impacts while providing long-term savings through lower energy consumption.

Grantees will assist schools in developing and implementing comprehensive IAQ management plans to address these issues. Schools with IAQ management plans are better prepared to:

• Conduct preventative maintenance to avoid costly IAQ issues before they start.
• React quickly when IAQ issues do arise.
• Build resiliency into facility maintenance by documenting operations to ensure staff can step up to fill roles when needed.
• Identify opportunities for improving energy efficiency to save money and the environment.
• Prioritize necessary infrastructure upgrades so that schools can justify capital costs and are ready to take advantage of federal, state, and local funding opportunities. 

---

Grant Recipients

EPA received more than 50 applications requesting over $350 million in funding, demonstrating the significant interest in improving school air quality across the country. Of these applications, EPA awarded five grants – ranging from $5 to $8 million each – for a total of $34 million.

As a whole, the grantees will help schools across the country and will address all four of the project areas that were outlined in the Notice of Funding Opportunity:

1. IAQ and Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Reduction Capacity Building targeting facility management staff, health officers, and key decision makers at K-12 schools and/or school districts in low-income and disadvantaged communities.
2. Tribal IAQ and GHG Reduction Capacity Building targeting facility management staff, health officers, and key decision makers at K-12 schools in Tribal communities.
3. IAQ and GHG Reduction Training and Education Campaign for facility management staff and health officers at K-12 schools and school districts in low-income, disadvantaged, and Tribal communities, and/or the development of qualified K-12 school staff necessary to execute comprehensive IAQ and GHG Reduction Plans.
4. IAQ and GHG Reduction Research and Demonstration Projects in K-12 schools located in low-income, disadvantaged, and/or Tribal communities.

This page will be updated in the future with details on how schools can connect and partner with the grantees as they start their projects. Interested schools can also subscribe to our email list for updates.

The following organizations received awards:

• The University of Utah was awarded $6.5 million to support the development of indoor air quality management and greenhouse gas reduction plans for schools in urban and rural areas in Utah and Nevada, as well as with the Northern Arapaho Tribe in Wyoming. This will be accomplished through energy efficiency assessments of school buildings, indoor/outdoor air pollutant monitoring, demonstration of effectiveness of air pollution reduction strategies, development of an indoor air quality school phone app, community engagement, training, educational activities, and by providing indoor air quality and greenhouse gas reduction guidance to schools.  

• The American Lung Association was awarded $8 million to deploy the Clean Air School Challenge to raise awareness, educate, build capacity, increase implementation, and recognize the efforts of schools in low-income, disadvantaged, and Tribal communities nationwide as they implement comprehensive indoor air quality and greenhouse gas management plans. 

• The New York State Department of Health and Health Research, Inc. was awarded $5 million to provide capacity building in indoor air quality and greenhouse gas reduction in disadvantaged and Tribal schools throughout New York State and additional states across the country. The two organizations will draw on past experience to enable hundreds of disadvantaged and Tribal schools in New York to adopt sustainable indoor air quality management plans to make air quality improvements and greenhouse gas reductions that will improve the health and performance of many of New York’s 1.6 million disadvantaged students plus teachers and school staff.  

• The Go Green Initiative  was awarded $8 million and will partner with the National School Boards Association and their state affiliates to provide education and training for school staff, administrators, and school board officials involved in improving school indoor air quality and reducing climate pollution across all 50 states. They will also provide targeted, intensive technical assistance and capacity building in Tribal and low-income school districts in all 10 EPA regions. 

• The U.S. Green Building Council’s Center for Green Schools was awarded $6.5 million to build capacity among school district staff in low-income, disadvantaged and Tribal communities to establish indoor air quality management and greenhouse gas reduction plans. This work builds on long-running and successful support that the Center for Green Schools has provided to hundreds of school district staff, who collectively serve 9.3 million students. The program places direct emphasis on making capacity building and training activities more accessible to school district staff serving low-income, disadvantaged, and Tribal communities. 

---

Important Dates

---

Grant Documents

• NOFO: Grant Funding to Address Indoor Air Pollution at Schools - updated February 21, 2024 (PDF)
• Questions and Answers 03.12.2024 (pdf) (384.6 KB)

---

Past Events: Stakeholder Engagement

To inform the development of this funding opportunity, EPA sought input on the design of the program to inform the types of projects that may be eligible for the program. EPA collected feedback between November 2022 and June 2023 via Grants.gov requests for public comment, listening sessions, and email. EPA was pleased to receive over 1,300 comments from more than 350 individuals and organizations and has taken this feedback into consideration in the development of the funding opportunity.