b'B R E A T H E E A S Y : What Every School Should Know About Indoor Air QualityBy Chris Ruth, Integrated Facility Services (IFS)W alk into a classroom on anybrought fresh air and ventilation intoBeyond Temperature:given school day and youllnational conversations, many schoolWhat the Air Is Telling You find what youd expect districts began asking deeper questionsMost schools already monitor students listening, teachersabout the air circulating through theirtemperature, and for good reason. teaching, papers rustling,classrooms, offices, gyms, and cafeterias.However, the conditions that truly maybe a bit of chatter. What you wontAcross Missouri, more school districtsdefine indoor air quality go far notice, at least not right away, is the air.are asking smart questions about how tobeyond comfort. Four core indicators However, the air in that room is silentlyimprove the air inside their buildings provide the most meaningful insight shaping everything that happens insideand rightfully so. While the technicalinto your schools air health: carbon itfrom how well students concentrateside of indoor air quality can be complex,dioxide (CO), relative humidity to how often theyre absent.the fundamentals are easy to understand.(RH), particulate matter (PM2.5 and For years, Missouri school buildingsFor facility directors and maintenancePM10), and volatile organic compounds have been evaluated on visible things teams, there are a few straightforward,(VOCs). flooring, lighting, HVAC units, evenmeasurable indicators that can be trackedEach of these tells a unique story about cleanliness. Only recently has indoorright now to make a meaningful impactyour buildings air, and together they air quality, or IAQ, taken a front seaton student health, staff comfort, andform a more complete picture than any in school operations. After COVID-19overall building performance.one number alone. 6|SCHOOL PLANT MANAGER MAGAZINE|SUMMER 2025'