"Don't Play in the Dirt": Toxic Land, an Achievement Gap, and a School Health Needs Assessment

• In Event: 43.080 - Sheraton Roundtable Six - Osgoode Ballroom
  In Roundtable Session: 43.080-5 - Curriculum Matters: Being White, Being Green

Abstract

Rural schools face limited services, reduced funding, and diminished resources. Within Illinois, rural towns face difficult economic times (population decline and loss of industry). Sandoval is one of those towns. Given a gap in academic performance, Sandoval earned a school improvement grant in 2015. Partnering with Sandoval School District, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine completed a case study on student health needs. One key finding was the Environmental Protection Agency declared Sandoval a super fund site in 2011. The remains of a smelting plant were used for sidewalks, playgrounds, and driveways. This study explores the intersection of environment, health, community, and school. It highlights a public health infrastructure not designed to address environmental toxins and its potential impact on schools.

Authors

• Jeanne Koehler, State Farm Insurance and Financial Services

• Anne Kathrin Scheer, Southern Illinois University

• Emilie Lohman-Irwin, Southern Illinois University