PCBs are a group of human-made chemicals that can cause serious health problems. Vermont has requirements for schools built or renovated before 1980 to test for PCBs in indoor air and to make fixes if levels are high.
While a major source of lead poisoning in Vermont children is paint, lead in older plumbing, pipes and fixtures can add to a child’s overall lead exposure.
Schools play a critical role in promoting the health of young people and helping them establish lifelong healthy behaviors, from early child care through college. Proper nutrition and regular physical activity improves academic performance.
This resource provides guidance to school administrators and school nurses in the developing, implementing and evaluating school health services.
The School Health Profiles is a biannual set of surveys supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Division of Adolescent and School Health’s (DASH). The Vermont Agency of Education collected data from 2002 to 2012. The Health Department began collecting data in 2014. Data are collected from middle and high school principals and lead health education teachers to assess school health policies, programs, and practices.
The Envision Program best practices are intended to provide school administrators, nurses, maintenance and building services staff with tools to use when planning for renovations, preventative maintenance, pest management and control, monitoring of drinking water, and other building activities.
Poor indoor air quality in schools has been linked to decreased student and teacher performance and increased absenteeism as well as acute and chronic health effects. The Envision Program was created to help schools address indoor air quality issues.
For most school children and staff, the second largest contributor to their radon exposure is likely to be their school. In 2021, the Vermont legislature passed a law requiring all schools to test for radon.
The risk of lead poisoning can be reduced when schools are maintained in a way that lowers or eliminates sources of lead—such as lead-contaminated soil, lead dust, and chipping or peeling lead-based paint.
The Asbestos Hazardous Emergency Response Act was established by the Environmental Protection Agency to protect students, educators, and staff from coming in contact with asbestos in schools.
