St. Albans High School is one of only ten school districts in the nation chosen to participate in the study in thanks to the West Virginia Department of Education’s excellence in providing high IEQ to its students, faculty and staff. The project’s objective is to provide information to design, construction, and maintenance professionals to be utilized in building of future energy-efficient educational facilities.
The study consists of four main variables; sound, lighting (natural and electric), microbial data (mold), and thermal comfort (temperature, humidity, draft). Also, the IEQ perception questionnaire will be administered on a volunteer-basis for all full-time classroom teachers.
A complete database of the various environmental parameters in the high-functioning, typical educational facilities will be published online in the summer of 2006. The project is sponsored by the National Center for Energy Management and Building Technologies and funded by the US Department of Energy.
For more information on the research project or air quality issues in West Virginia schools, contact Bill Elswick, Executive Director, WVDE Office of School Facilities at (304) 558-2969.