Student Lockers, or Not

The issue as to whether to provide student lockers in high schools and middle schools is a conversation you should have with your design professional early in the planning stage of your project. It seems like a simple decision, but it will have ongoing implications of safety and security for your school.

We still see the majority of our clients requesting student lockers to be located down various corridors, much as we have been accustomed to seeing in schools for years. The difference being now, as opposed to say 15 years ago, is in the placement of the lockers. They can still be located down a corridor, but don't position them adjacent to exterior doors where it makes it easy for students to bring in contraband unseen. If lockers are grouped together in a specific area, do not extend the lockers above eye level so as to block the view of the monitor for that area.

We have had several school districts eliminate student lockers all together. The ongoing trouble of dealing with drugs and other paraphernalia has been the driving force to get rid of them. The solution has either been to make students carry all their books in a back pack or provide a second set of books located in the classroom. Of course, providing the second set of books has a monetary impact that has kept many schools from choosing this option. As school districts go this route, we see more teachers requesting some type of cabinet in the classroom to store or hang the back packs as students are carrying all their worldly possesions with them from class to class.

There is a third option I believe that we will see in the near future and that is the introduction of the iPad or other similar note books. As this technology becomes more readily available, standard hard cover books as we know them will become less attractive, thus eliminating the need for a locker. This won't happen quickly, I believe it will be a slow transition. And if this does occur, it brings up another issue as to the viability of libraries as we know them now. We'll save that discussion for another time though.

I'd love to hear your thoughts and issues/solutions to student lockers in your school.

Michael D. King AIA

Passive Solar Strategies

At this time of the year, when it’s cold outside but the days are getting longer, I think about passive solar strategies for reducing heating bills. The sun can provide heat for your school. Passive solar heating involves designing a building with south-facing windows and building overhangs so that the sun can heat in the winter but not the summer. Since the sun is higher in the sky in the summer than in the winter, those low-angle rays, in a properly designed building, will provide heat at this time of the year. When the sun’s angle is higher, during the warmer part of the year, a properly designed passive solar building’s roof overhangs will block the sun’s rays so no rays will strike directly on the glazing later in the year. For more information about using the sun to heat, follow this link: http://www.energysavers.gov/your_home/designing_remodeling/index.cfm/mytopic=10280 . Although it’s “home designing and remodeling” the explanation of the idea behind passive solar heating is the same as for schools. The easiest passive solar strategy that reduces cooling bills is that of planting trees. Trees are often overlooked as an important passive solar cooling strategy, but it’s easy enough to incorporate deciduous trees into your landscaping. Plant deciduous trees on the southeast and southwest corners of your school. The trees provide shade during the seasons when they are leafed out, which is when cooling is needed. When the trees lose their leaves in the fall the sun shines on the school building, which provides passive solar heating if the building is designed for passive solar heat gain. Another strategy is known as “indirect gain” (sometimes called a Trombe Wall) which uses a building’s mass to collect, absorb, then redistribute heat. The sun’s rays shine into a space between the building’s glazing and a masonry or concrete wall, which acts as a heat sink. Then various methods are used to move the heat into the rest of a building. http://www.energysavers.gov/your_home/designing_remodeling/index.cfm/mytopic=10300 . I’ve discussed the use of daylight harvesting or daylighting in schools in a previous blog; check my blogs to see how to utilize this strategy to increase student health.

January is National Radon Action Month

January is National Radon Action Month. Radon, a radioactive gas found in all 50 states, is responsible for over 21,000 lung cancer deaths each year, second only to cigarette smoking. Radon is naturally occurring in the soil wherever uranium deposits are located. Because it’s odorless and tasteless it’s not well-known as a health risk. There may be a substantial number of schools in the U.S. with radon problems, since not all states mandate radon testing. Pressure from the soil typically is greater than air pressure in a school, so the radon finds its way or is pushed into a school from cracks in building foundations, slabs, and other avenues of ingress. Once inside it’s breathed by the building’s occupants. The radioactive particles cause irritation in the lungs, leading to cancer. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends that all schools be tested and that action be taken to reduce elevated radon levels. Many schools have radon in them, yet not all schools test for radon. The only way to determine the presence of and the levels of radon is to test. The test is simple and inexpensive. Test kits can be purchased online or at hardware or home improvement stores. Since there are both short-term and long-term tests, it’s best to do both for a baseline if you haven’t ever done radon testing. The links below will help determine testing protocols and follow-up for your school. It’s better to test more than one area of your school. There are construction techniques that can alleviate the risk of radon. Older schools are more at risk than newer schools for radon intrusion due to cracking from settling, not as air-tight construction on foundations and floors, and less caulking / waterproofing at floor penetrations. Common problem areas include (Courtesy of Kansas State University) • Cracks in floors and walls • Gaps in suspended floors • Openings around sump pumps and drains • Cavities in walls • Joints in construction materials • Gaps around utility penetrations (pipes and wires) • Crawl spaces that open directly into the building The U.S. EPA recommends schools hire professionals for radon testing. Fixes for radon intrusion can be fairly inexpensive. The link below will help you find your state’s radon office. www.sosradon.org – Kansas State University’s radon education website. http://www.epa.gov/iaq/schools/pdfs/kit/managing_radon.pdf - managing radon in schools. There is a substantial amount of information on this site. http://www.epa.gov/radon/whereyoulive.html http://www.epa.gov/radon/pubs www.epa.gov/radon/pdfs/zonemapcolor.pdf - a map showing the three radon zones in the U.S. Zone 1 (yellow) is the least likely to experience radon problems. Again, the only way to really determine your school’s radon infiltration is to test.

Implementing an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Program

As one school administrator asks, “What’s the difference between a pest and a pet?” (Answer: one you feed and the other you don’t.) If your school doesn’t have an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program, you can take steps to turn those pets into pests, and then reduce those pests. This is an important component of Indoor Environmental Quality objectives. An IPM program means that you will use eradication chemicals only as part of a comprehensive program to reduce insect, rodent, and other pest populations while taking steps to reduce asthma triggers, which will help your overall student population. First the facilities people at your school will want to keep records on what types of pests are typical or common for each campus. Your written IPM program will list types and numbers of pests that will be tolerated, then the amount or frequency of infestations and what steps will be taken at what point in time to reduce or eliminate infestations. At your school, you’ll work to alleviate the infestations by the use of several methods. Sanitation is what you are going to use in lieu of pesticides for the first line of defense. Use common-sense strategies: caulk the building envelope, make sure doors and windows close properly, and inspect vegetation areas near entries. If excessive vegetation harbors pests, take steps to prune or eliminate the vegetation. Consider whether or not the pest is actually a pest (honeybees for example). Next you’ll want to determine the various ways to reduce or remove pests. The idea is to reduce reliance on chemicals, which can be harmful to humans, especially the medically fragile. If your school uses the calendar to schedule pest spraying, stop using the calendar. It’s too arbitrary and leads to over-use of pesticides. Consider using traps and (non-pesticide) baits to monitor pests. You’ll want to keep your school clean and reduce food sources for your pests. When pests reach a certain threshold, as detailed on your schools IPM plan, you’ll need to act. Some of the ways to keep pests from turning into pets: • Keep food out of classrooms. Keep food in the cafeteria. • Have a “no classroom pets” rule. All those class gerbils and rats eat, drink, and have bedding. Their supplies are stored in the classroom. Think about having a teacher’s meeting to determine a classroom pet policy. • Remove refrigerators and other food storage and preparation appliances from the classroom – get rid of coffee makers, toaster ovens, microwaves, refrigerators, and hot plates. • Have trash emptied daily from classrooms. • Keep classrooms clutter-free so the janitorial staff is able to clean effectively. When there is no other choice but to use pesticides, develop a list of least-toxic pesticides. Try using mechanical means first, for instance, scrub the affected area clean before resorting to pesticide application. Pesticides often need licensed applicators to apply and they can persist in the school for long-term, ongoing exposure. For chemically sensitive children this can mean repeated absences. Also explore green methods for cleaning and for pest removal. Biological controls are effective; scientists have developed traps or other methods of removing pests based on pheromone attractants. The use of diatomaceous earth is common and is effective for ant control. The sharp pieces of silica in diatomaceous earth stick in the exoskeleton of pests, then are brought back to the nest by the ants where they (the shards) persist, resulting in the death of the insect. Use predatory insects to keep pests under control – ladybugs and praying mantis can be ordered through the mail. For mice and other rodents, use traps. An Integrated Pest Management program is an important aspect of providing a healthy school environment. Writing and implementing an IPM plan is simple. There is an example IPM plan below (third link). http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/factsheets/ipm.h http://www.whatisipm.org/ http://www.uvm.edu/pss/pd/schoolipm/documents/sampleplan.pdf http://www.epa.gov/pesp/ipminschools/issuesandbenefits.html