Page 25 - School Planning & Management, April 2017

HOW HEALTHY SCHOOLS
SAVE MONEY
WHY HEALTHY SCHOOLS DON’T COST — THEY PAY
The Healthy Facilities Award is designed to help schools everywhere become healthier, both physically and fiscally, by showcasing facilities that model healthful, safe indoor envi- ronments, along with budget benefits, in areas such as in- door air quality, chemical exposure, water quality, sound lev- els, lighting, cleaning, disinfecting, sanitizing and foodservice, integrated pest management, ergonomics, classrooms, HVAC and ceilings, furniture, restrooms, floors, stairs, drinking fountains, cafeterias, foodservice, locker rooms and security.
Award levels include Gold Standard of Excellence, Silver Standard of Excellence and Healthy Facilities Advocate.
The program, developed by School Planning & Manage- ment (SP&M) and College Planning & Management (CP&M) magazines, in partnership with the Healthy Facilities Insti- tute (HFI), will recognize leaders selected from pK-12, higher-
education and other institutions that have demonstrated a commitment to better learning environments based on the application of well-established principles of healthy in- door environments as shown in the Healthy and Safe Facility Handbook.
Why is this important? According to Dr. David Mudarri, HFI advisory board member: “A healthy mind and healthy body go together. Available research shows improved indoor environments can have a profound effect on human health, enhancing ability to learn and test scores.”
Moreover, healthy schools do not cost — they pay. To download your entry form or to access the Healthy and Safe Facility Handbook, visit spaces4learning.com/HFA. There is no fee to enter, and the process will help you advance on the path to both physical and fiscal health.
INDOOR AIR QUALITY
Clean the air, save money. Sounds simple, but how? The best way to keep your air clean is to not let it become dirty in the first place. This means prevention by identifying, stopping or controlling sources such
as idling vehicles; lack of proper entry matting, particles from poorly filtered vacuums or HVAC systems; chemi-
cal VOCs from building, furnishing or cleaning materials; fragrances in prod- ucts or on people and poorly sealed or insulated buildings.
It also means ensuring ventilation in a manner that does not inflate energy costs, either on a room-by-room basis via a central HVAC system or using a Heat Recovery or Energy Recovery Ventilator (HRV or ERV). Still, the cost of energy is less than the cost of an
APRIL 2017 / SCHOOL PLANNING & MANAGEMENT 25
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