SALAMANCA — The National School Boards Association (NSBA) and Go Green Initiative (GGI) announced June 16 the first 10 school districts selected to participate in a multi-year initiative to improve indoor air quality (IAQ) and reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) in school facilities across the country.

The Salamanca City Central School District — the only district in New York state — is among the 10 selected to receive $50,000 in grant funding and on-the-ground technical assistance to develop and implement board-approved IAQ Management and GHG Reduction Plans.

The program specifically targets low-income and Tribal school districts, helping them build capacity to address health and environmental factors that directly affect student learning.

“Every student deserves a safe, healthy learning environment — and that starts with the air they breathe,” said Verjeana McCotter-Jacobs, Executive Director and CEO of NSBA.

Poor indoor air quality is linked to increased absenteeism, lower test scores and decreased teacher retention rates, McCotter-Jacobs explained, all of which directly undermine student achievement.

“Through this groundbreaking partnership with the Go Green Initiative, NSBA is proud to help school boards implement real, measurable solutions to improve air quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” she added. “We applaud these 10 districts for their leadership and commitment to student and staff well-being and educational success.”

School districts in California, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon and Virginia were also announced as grant winners.

Jill Buck, M.S., Ed., founder and CEO of the GGI, said this first cohort of school districts represents a historic moment of national attention to the impact IAQ has on student health and learning. Each school district was chosen from a pool of applicants representing all 10 EPA regions and will set the standard for energy-efficient IAQ management.

“We congratulate the leaders of these school districts for their extraordinary commitment to student well-being, and we look forward to working with them to create healthier learning conditions for the nearly 100,000 students in their care,” Buck added.

As part of the program, participating school districts will:

• Enact school board policy to address IAQ management and GHG reduction;
• Conduct baseline assessments of air quality and emissions;
• Provide training for key district stakeholders;
• Develop and implement district-wide IAQ and GHG reduction plans; and
• Measure, quantify and report outcomes.

District on boarding will begin this summer, with full implementation scheduled for Sept. 1.