This article asserts that a significant number of schoolchildren and teachers in the United States are exposed on an almost daily basis to environmental hazards including volatile organic chemicals, airborne lead and asbestos, and noise pollution while they are at school. Some school hazards are linked to the aging of many of the nation's schools, to the ongoing siting of schools in close proximity to contaminated waste sites, and to the burgeoning population of school-age children that has forced financially constrained school districts to use portable classrooms to increase their classroom space. The article also assert that few federal laws currently protect students from such threats but several states have adopted measures that address these issues. Some federal agencies do, however, have voluntary programs that school administrators can take advantage of to improve the condition of their facilities. (EVH)