Release Date: 3/1/2010 Contact: Charles Herndon, 410-887-6111

BCPS honored for its national leadership in indoor air quality for schools

TOWSON, MD. - The Board of Education of Baltimore County, at its March 9 meeting, will recognize the Baltimore County Public Schools Department of Physical Facilities, led by Executive Director Michael G. Sines, for earning a National Mentorship Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools program.

Launched in January 2006, the BCPS Tools for Schools Program is an initiative with the EPA and the American Lung Association of the Atlantic Coast. The program helps the district develop its own indoor air quality management plan to effectively improve the indoor environment in all of its buildings by reducing exposure to indoor pollutants as part of the maintenance of schools.

At its national symposium held January 14-16 in Washington, D.C., the EPA recognized BCPS with this special award for its work assisting school districts throughout the nation with improving their own indoor air quality.

In addition to the award, BCPS was featured in the EPA's "Envisioning Excellence: Lessons from Effective School Indoor Air Quality Programs" publication, which was shared at the symposium. This publication highlights the school system's systematic approach to identifying and preventing risks, and it notes that BCPS has been able to reduce significantly the number of indoor air quality-related work orders and complaints and to reduce average expenditures on mold remediation activities from $513,000 to $150,000 within one year of program implementation.

"For the past few years, at the national symposium, we have asked school districts, such as Baltimore County, that have won excellence awards in the past, to serve as faculty and mentors to share their expertise and experiences with other districts," explains Jennifer Lemon, a public affairs specialist with the EPA.

Cristina M. Schulingkamp, radon and indoor air quality program coordinator for EPA Region 3, has been involved with Baltimore County Public Schools since the inception of the district's Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools program. She notes that, in addition to their work at the symposiums this year and last year, BCPS industrial hygienists David Glassman and Sean Joyce have volunteered to assist the Philadelphia school district with the development of its own Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools program.

"We saw that Baltimore County Public Schools had developed a successful process for implementing the program," Schulingkamp notes. "The facilities staff members have a strong understanding of how buildings function and how people function in buildings."

Schulingkamp adds that "David and Sean are very hands-on, people-oriented, and knowledgeable. They see obstacles as challenges that can be overcome, and they share their positive approach with others."

Tools for Schools, now used in all BCPS schools, empowers school communities to take a holistic approach to improving indoor air quality and preventing indoor air concerns. The Tools for Schools approach involves forming a team - including administrators, nurses, teachers, students, custodians, parents, and interested community members. After receiving training about air quality issues, this team then develops an air quality plan based on the needs of each particular building, alerts relevant parties to potential problems (before there are any health ramifications), educates others in the school community about ways to prevent air quality problems, and serves as a communication link between administration and the community.

Visit the BCPS News Archive to explore more BCPS news!