NA Schools Newsroom Stay informed about events across our schools

New Albany School District Focuses on Healthy School Environments

The New Albany School District recently focused on asthma education for its students and staff.  Jennifer Cofer, Excecutive Director of the American Lung Association of Mississippi, toured the school district's facilities to determine if there were any noticeable triggers that could cause sickness to students and staff members.  Pictured above are (l-r):  Jessica Gray, NAMS Nurse; Cofer; Dr. Charles Garrett, Superitendent; Tammie Reeder, NAES Nurse; and Jill Robbins, NAHS Nurse.

The New Albany School District (NASD) knows that many factors contribute to an optimal educational environment where teachers can teach and students can learn. Using the Coordinated School Health (CSH) model, developed by the Centers for Disease and Prevention (CDC), has helped the NASD assess all its critical components, including the physical environment – the school’s buildings and grounds.

NASD realizes the importance of clean and healthy school buildings and grounds so that children have a safe environment in which to study and learn.  Recently, Jennifer Cofer, Executive Director of the American Lung Association of Mississippi conducted a walk through evaluation of the school district’s facilities to determine if there were any noticeable triggers that could cause illness for the students and staff.

Cofer commended the school district for the following:  a monthly pest control contract plan; clean supply rooms with appropriate data sheets; and no mold or mildew was sighted.  “The cleaning procedures used by the maintenance, janitorial, and food services staff were very impressive,” she said. 

“The school district is one of few districts in the state to have a registered nurse at each school site,” Cofer said.  “Having a registered nurse at every school is very impressive and sends the message that you want to maintain a safe and healthy environment for both students and teachers.”

Coffer stressed the importance of proper air filtration and using effective air filters.  “Quality air filters are important for respiratory, lung, and heart health,” she said.

“This fall we have focused on the indoor air quality of all of our school facilities,” says Dr. Charles Garrett, Superintendent.  “We plan to further improve our indoor air quality by purchasing more efficient air filters.  It is our hope that this will help our students with asthma and other respiratory issues.”

“In order to maximize academic performance, we need to assess our school environment just like we assess student fitness levels and the nutritional quality of our cafeteria meals,” says Lance Evans, New Albany Elementary School Principal.  “All these factors help insure that students are fit, healthy, and ready to succeed.”