Report Shows Majority of Schools Are Implementing Green Cleaning

Chicago – Healthy Schools Campaign, a nonprofit organization working to ensure all students attend schools that support their health and wellness, partnered with ISSA, the worldwide cleaning industry association, to survey schools and universities across the country to better understand what they are doing and determine the type of resources and tools schools need.

The 2018 National Education Facilities Cleaning Survey found that 96.7 percent of schools have implemented green cleaning to at least a small extent, and nearly one in three schools

has implemented green cleaning to a very large extent. The report also found that the presence or absence of an official state or organizational policy influenced a school’s likeliness to implement a more comprehensive green cleaning program.

“This report shows just how far schools have come in making sure their cleaning programs are safe for the health and children and staff,” says Healthy Schools Campaign President + CEO Rochelle Davis. “We are encouraged by the results of this survey and look forward to working with the green cleaning industry and schools across the country to continue this movement.”

The report also highlights how schools view the importance of a green cleaning program. Three in four schools view cleaning as essential and deeply value its importance in ensuring health and safety for students and staff. 

“This collaborative effort between ISSA and Healthy Schools Campaign is a great example of a partnership that brings light to a truly important subject: improving our school environments to ensure students and teachers can educate and learn in safe, healthy surroundings,” said John Barrett, Executive Director of ISSA. “We look forward to continuing these efforts to enlighten all schools—and the public at large—to the importance of green cleaning practices.” 

This report is available to download at greencleanschools.org/report.

 

Featured

  • Massachusetts K–12 District Selects Architect for New Junior High

    Swansea Public Schools in Swansea, Mass., recently announced that it has selected Finegold Alexander Architects to design a new junior high school for the district, according to a news release. The firm will create the Feasibility Study and Schematic Design for Joseph Case Junior High School after a lengthy selection process by the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA).

  • Spaces4Learning Trends & Predictions for Educational Facilities in 2026: Part I

    We asked, you answered, and the results are in! Last year, we put out a call for submissions to collect our readership’s opinion on trends and predictions for K–12 and higher education facilities in 2026.

  • From Approval to Opening: Inside Travis Unified School District’s Fast Tracked Campus Expansion

    The Travis Unified School District (TUSD) in northern California includes several elementary and high schools serving over 5,400 students. In 2024, the TUSD Board approved the addition of sixth grade to the Golden West Middle School campus for the 2025–26 school year, setting in motion an accelerated effort to bring new facilities online in less than a year.

  • Round Rock ISD Completes New Early College High School

    Round Rock ISD near Austin, Texas, recently announced that construction is complete on a new, 46,500-square-foot campus for Early College High School, according to a news release. The new facility will allow the school’s students and staff to move from portables into a permanent building and increase its enrollment to 500.