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

  • Houston K–12 District Opens New Elementary School

    The Lamar Consolidated Independent School District (Lamar CISD) recently announced the completion of a new elementary school in a western suburb of Houston, Texas, according to a news release. Haygood Elementary School measures in at 110,000 square feet, has the capacity for 854 students, and is the first of three new schools scheduled to be built in the Cross Creek West community.

  • Upcoming University of Alabama Performing Arts Center Hits Construction Milestone

    The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Ala., recently celebrated the topping out of its new Smith Family Center for Performing Arts, according to a news release. The university is partnering with HPM for program and project management on the facility, which broke ground in 2023 and is scheduled for completion in November 2026.

  • University of Rhode Island, Gilbane Partner for Three New Residence Halls

    The University of Rhode Island in Kingston, R.I., recently announced a public-private partnership with construction development firm Gilbane, according to a news release. Gilbane will soon start construction on three new residence halls with a total of 1,100 beds: two with apartment-style suites in northwest campus, and a reconstruction of the Graduate Village Apartments for graduate students.

  • abstract representation of hybrid learning environment

    The Permanence of Change: Why Hybrid Is the New Baseline

    Hybrid learning is here to stay, and it's reshaping how campus spaces function.

Digital Edition