How Healthy Schools Save Money

Why healthy schools don't cost — they pay.

Healthy SchoolsThe Healthy Facilities Award is designed to help schools everywhere become healthier, both physically and fiscally, by showcasing facilities that model healthful, safe indoor environments, along with budget benefits, in areas such as indoor air quality, chemical exposure, water quality, sound levels, 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 & Management (SP&M) and College Planning & Management (CP&M) magazines, in partnership with the Healthy Facilities Institute (HFI), will recognize leaders selected from pK-12, highereducation and other institutions that have demonstrated a commitment to better learning environments based on the application of well-established principles of healthy indoor 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.

Featured

  • University of Kentucky Reopens Scovell Hall

    The University of Kentucky recently reopened Scovell Hall, part of the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment (CAFE), following comprehensive renovations to the 120-year-old facility in Lexington, Ky., according to a news release.

  • Spaces4Learning Launches 2026 Facilities and Construction Brief Survey

    Spaces4Learning recently launched the 2026 Facilities and Construction Brief Survey, which collects data on the previous year’s K–12 and higher education construction projects nationwide.

  • California High School Opens New Classroom Building for 7th-, 8th-Graders

    Santa Rosa City Schools in Santa Rosa, Calif., recently announced the completion of a new classroom building for Piner High School. As the campus transitions to a Junior/Senior High School, the facility will play home to the school’s new population of seventh- and eighth-grade students.

  • University of Rochester to Break Ground on New Student Life Center

    The University of Rochester in Rochester, N.Y., recently began construction on a new Student Life building, according to a news release. The first floor will contain campus-wide gathering, program, and rehearsal space; the second floor will play home to the Greenbaum Center for Jewish Life.