According to the EPA, more than 53 million children and about 6 million adults spend a substantial part of their days in schools.  The EPA has recognized that many schools have environmental problems, and, in 1995, released the first edition of its Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools kit to encourage school districts to address environmental problems. The EPA estimates that an average of one out of 13 school-age children has asthma, and that asthma is a leading cause of student absenteeism.  

Health concerns in schools are not limited to indoor air quality.  Recently, schools are identifying and remediating PCBs found in building materials.  As the public considers how to develop policies to respond to school-based health issues, they often consider AHERA, the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act as a model for regulating health issues in schools.