Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)

ST. MARY’S COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Department of Operations

In order to enhance our efforts to provide good indoor air quality (IAQ) at all school locations the Environmental Protection Agency sponsored program, “Indoor Air Quality – Tools for Schools” was instituted in 2009. A major component of the program calls for the efforts of IAQ site teams at each school. Junior Armstrong, Operations Logistics Support Manager, is the Operations Department’s point of contact for our IAQ program, and he will be reestablishing and meeting with these teams at all school sites in the coming months.

Site based IAQ teams will be made up of a school administrator, school nurse, Building Service Manager, and Mr. Armstrong (chair). Each team will meet three times per year, in October, January and April. These months were selected because they coincide with seasonal change and propensity for allergen outbreaks and illnesses that may relate to indoor air quality in schools.

• A general agenda for these meetings will include, but is not limited to:
• Status updates on IAQ issues within each team member’s area of expertise will be given.
• Ongoing IAQ issues will be discussed and any open work requests that may impact IAQ will be reviewed.
• Recent building cleanliness inspections will be reviewed.
• Any Integrated Pest Management (IPM) issues will be discussed.
• Any ongoing or scheduled renovation, construction, or AHERA (Asbestos Hazardous Emergency Response Act) related issues will be discussed.

It is my intention that frequent, purposeful communication between the Operations Department and school-based personnel regarding IAQ will be enhanced, leading to a proactive approach for all of us in maintaining safe, healthy environments for our students and teachers.

-Ashley Varner
Director of Operations