Air Monitoring

Sustainability initiatives are building blocks that have multiple benefits when assembled or stacked in the right order. Clean air is a byproduct of buying electric school buses. We want to measure the effects of that clean air at our Transportation Yard and the school sites in student pickup/dropoff zones. Our students are involved in this process, and student environmental clubs will spearhead this project. Please check out our progress in the next few months.

What We're Doing

UC Merced and CCAC Study📚

An air quality monitoring project partnership is underway with UC Merced professor Dr. Asa Bradman and the Central California Asthma Collaborative (CCAC)! MCS received 35 Purple Air Monitors from UC Merced in the fall of 2023 and installed a monitor at all 34 school sites, plus the Transportation Yard.  To learn more about the UC Merced air quality research programs, visit: https://healthyair.ucmerced.edu.672elmp01.blackmesh.com/

Through its SJVAir project, CCAC has deployed over 400 air monitors across the San Joaquin Valley. All of our Purple Air Monitors were calibrated by CCAC, and through its network, you can sign up for text alerts or use its mobile app to receive alerts about the air quality around your school! 

Download the SJVAir App!
Sign up for text air quality alerts

*The air quality reading from SJVAir has a longer lag time in reporting since it receives its updates from the Purple Air Readings.

Purple Air Monitors⛅🏫

We hope to initiate after-school programs and involve environmental clubs and classes in the monitoring and tracking process.

Through consistent tracking, the air monitors will develop a baseline for emissions and local air quality. Students can use software like Excel to find correlations in air quality due to site location and surroundings, weather, time of year, and even time of day.  Air monitors will gauge the annual difference in air quality levels from the baseline. Those results will be posted on the district’s Sustainability webpage as data is collected.

What do the Monitors Measure???

The air monitors determine the air quality based on tiny particles called particulate matter (PM) 2.5, which means that it is particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or smaller! Although PM 2.5 is not visible, when there is a lot of it in the air, it becomes a problem because we can inhale them deep into our lungs, which can cause or exacerbate asthma and other health problems in children, the elderly, and those with other respiratory (breathing) and heart conditions. The Central Valley has some of the highest PM 2.5 levels in the United States!

Check and See if your school's air monitor is installed! 🎉

We are currently in the installation process. As each air monitor is installed and reports data, links will be provided to the Purple Air real-time map.
*The monitors only measure outdoor air quality

Shoutout to all the teams and individuals who contributed to getting these monitors to MCS and the installation process. UC Merced provided the air monitors, IETS configured a network for the devices, and the Electrical Department is currently installing and registering them on the Purple Air website. Thank you!

Real-time outdoor air monitoring at the Transportation Yard!

The district converted over half of its bus fleet to electric school buses! Notice the overall improved air quality near the yard, with fewer fluctuations during peak morning and afternoon hours.

"Our sustainable projects are designed to address climate change, reduce air pollution, and lead the next generation of students in learning about a sustainable lifestyle."
-Tim Zearley, Associate Superintendent of Business Services, Modesto City Schools

Featured Campus Outdoor Air Quality!

Franklin Elementary

Modesto High School

Roosevelt Junior High

Elliott Alt. Ed

san joaquin valley air pollution control district logo

San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District

San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District (SJVAPCD) supports the Healthy Air Living Schools Program, "a multipronged outreach effort that offers support and tools to help Valley schools make informed decisions about outdoor activities in relation to air quality." The Healthy Schools program provides resources and tools for schools to use to promote healthy air quality, no-idling campaigns, and additional materials.

Real-Time Air Advisory Network
RAAN uses actual, real-time air-quality data taken directly from the nearest air monitor to help you evaluate air quality and determine the right time for outdoor activities. It also provides Real-Time Outdoor Activity Risk (ROAR) guidelines based on five different air-quality levels.

Look up current air quality near you!

No Idling Campaign
Idling vehicles create unnecessary, harmful pollution that affect students’ health. The message is simple: While you wait for your child, please turn off your engine. Idling for more than 10 seconds uses more fuel than turning off the engine and restarting it.

Resource: Healthy Air Living Schools Program Additional Materials

Electric School Buses🚍 & Transportation Infrastructure Impact

To learn more about how Modesto City Schools is changing the air for students and staff, take a look at our Transportation and Green Infrastructure pages!

electric school bus at transportation yard under ev charging structure

Sustainability Focus Areas

Back to Main Sustainability Page
Teacher Resources