Wildfire smoke is reaching American schools far more often than it did less than two decades ago—and millions of children may be breathing polluted air while they're supposed to be learning.
A nationwide study found that the average number of wildfire-smoke days at US public schools rose nearly eightfold, from 6.8 to 54.4 days per academic year between the beginning and end of the study period.
For parents, the findings raise an unsettling question: How clean is the air inside your child's classroom?
Wildfire smoke is no longer just a West Coast problem
The study published in Environmental Research analyzed smoke exposure at more than 115,000 public schools and 131,000 childcare centers across the United States between 2006 and 2023.
Childcare centers experienced an even larger increase, with average annual smoke days rising from 9.4 to 112.2. Those figures cover the full calendar year for childcare centers, compared with academic-year exposure for schools.
Although the West experienced some of the most severe smoke conditions, the South and Midwest recorded particularly high numbers of smoke days.
Wildfire smoke can travel hundreds or even thousands of miles, meaning children don't need to live near an active wildfire to be affected.
Are children safe from smoke inside classrooms?
Not necessarily.
Researchers examined indoor and outdoor air-quality measurements at selected educational facilities and found that protection varied considerably between buildings.
Some facilities even recorded higher indoor concentrations of fine particulate matter, known as PM2.5, than nearby outdoor measurements during smoke events.
These tiny particles can penetrate deep into the lungs, making wildfire smoke particularly concerning for children with asthma and other respiratory conditions.
According to October 30 reporting on the study, researchers emphasized the importance of improved ventilation, portable HEPA filtration, and smoke preparedness in schools.
What can parents and schools do?
Schools can monitor local air-quality alerts, adjust outdoor activities during smoke events, and evaluate whether their ventilation and filtration systems are adequate.
Properly sized HEPA air purifiers can help reduce airborne smoke particles indoors, although they do not eliminate every pollutant found in smoke.
Parents can also ask schools about their wildfire-smoke response plans and indoor air-quality monitoring.
For information about indoor air purification and monitoring solutions, visit Atmos Protect.
Children spend thousands of hours in classrooms. Protecting the air they breathe deserves as much attention as protecting the buildings around them.