Indoor Air Quality Requirements for School Districts

No, DAS does not collect the checklists or physical documents. Per CGS § 10-220(d), PA 22-118, and PA 23-167, local and regional boards of education must post these checklists on the board of education website and respective school website.

After you post the checklists on your respective BOE/school websites, fill out the below form for DAS. You will be asked to provide the URL link for the publicly posted checklists.

IAQ Annual Reporting Form (Microsoft Forms)

No, the Environmental Protection Agency’s Tools for Schools Program is designed to help schools and districts to create a practical plan to improve indoor air problems at little- or no-cost using in-house staff. See the EPA’s IAQ Tools for Schools Resources page for more information

IAQ Tools for Schools Resources (US EPA)

Yes, per Connecticut laws (CGS § 10-220(d), PA 22-118, and PA 23-167), local and regional boards of education need to complete the annual inspection for each school building.

1. Complete the following six EPA Tools for Schools Checklists for each school in your district:
   • Building and Grounds Maintenance Checklist (PDF)
   • Waste Management Checklist (PDF)
   • Ventilation Checklist (PDF)
   • Walkthrough Inspection Checklist (PDF)
   • Integrated Pest Management Checklist (PDF)
   • Food Service Checklist (PDF)
2. Post the checklists on your board of education website and respective school website (if any); and
3. Complete the DAS form for each school in your district.
   •  IAQ Annual Reporting Form (Microsoft Forms)

Yes, the EPA offers reference guides, fact sheets, backgrounders, and more. You can find those resources on the EPA website.

Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools Action Kit (US EPA)

Yes, the annual inspection utilizes the EPA’s Tools for Schools program and is intended for school districts to complete with in house staff on a yearly basis. On the other hand, the five year inspection of heating, ventilation, and HVAC systems must be completed by a certified professional (such a testing, adjusting and balancing technician, an industrial hygienist certified by the American Board of Industrial Hygiene or the Board for Global EHS Credentialing, or a mechanical engineer) for 20% of schools each year until every school has been inspected.

The annual requirement using Tools for Schools is currently in effect as of January 1, 2024, whereas the five-year inspection requirement does not go into effect until July 1, 2026.

Per Connecticut laws (CGS § 10-220(d), PA 22-118, and PA 23-167), local and regional boards of education must provide an annual inspection of indoor air quality using the EPA Tools for Schools program. This inspection can be performed by school staff and is required annually.

The five year HVAC inspection and evaluation is a separate requirement. Per Connecticut laws, local and regional boards of education must provide for a uniform inspection and evaluation of the HVAC systems within each school building for 20% of schools each year until every school has been inspected. This inspection has to be completed by a certified professional, such a testing, adjusting and balancing technician, an industrial hygienist certified by the American Board of Industrial Hygiene or the Board for Global EHS Credentialing, or a mechanical engineer.

	Annual requirement	Five-year requirement
Effective date	January 1, 2024	July 1, 2026
Summary of the requirement	Complete the tools for schools indoor air quality checklists within each school on an annual basis. Post the Tools for Schools checklists on the school and BOE websites. Complete the DAS form to attest that your district performed the program as required.	Complete an inspection and evaluation of the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system within each school by a certified official. Districts must complete these at a rate of at least 20% of schools per year until all schools are inspected and evaluated. Complete the DAS form to attest you’re your district provided the inspection as required.
Who completes the inspection and evaluation?	In-house school staff such as principal, superintendent, facilities and maintenance staff, teachers.	Certified testing, adjusting and balancing technician, an industrial hygienist certified by the American Board of Industrial Hygiene or the Board for Global EHS Credentialing, or a mechanical engineer.
What to do with the results?	Post the EPA checklists on your board of education website and respective school website.	Post the report and results of each inspection and evaluation on your board of education and respective school website.
DAS Form	Annual IAQ form	Five-year HVAC form
Relevant laws and public acts	CGS § 10-220(d) PA 22-118 PA 23-167	CGS § 10-220(d) PA 22-118 PA 23-167 PA 24-74
Resources	IAQ Tools for Schools Resources | US EPA