As a mother of three, raising children in Southwest Louisiana, I think about air quality almost every day. I think about it when my kids play outside, when they walk into school in the morning, and when another flare lights up the sky or chemical smell drifts through our neighborhoods. Like many families here, we’ve learned to pay attention to the air around us because we live surrounded by heavy industry.
Recently, I explored the Air Toxics at School interactive tool by the Political Economy Research Institute at UMass Amherst. The data was difficult to read as both a parent and a community member.
According to the tool, Louisiana’s average toxic air hazard at schools is 2.63 times the national average. Out of 1,779 schools analyzed across the state, several Southwest Louisiana schools ranked among the highest toxic hazard levels in both the state and the nation.
Some of the schools listed include:
- Sulphur schools like Maplewood Elementary and Maplewood Middle School
- Little Learners Montessori in Sulphur
- Schools in Reserve, including Fifth Ward Elementary and East St. John High School
For families in Southwest Louisiana, this is personal. These are our children, our schools, and our communities. Many of us have experienced strong chemical smells, flaring, smoke, or air quality alerts in our neighborhoods. We hear about leaks and industrial incidents far too often. Seeing local schools ranked this high, raises serious questions about long-term health impacts on children and families. Parents deserve clear information about the air their children breathe every day. Communities deserve stronger protections, better monitoring, and honest conversations about pollution in Louisiana.
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At Micah 6:8 Mission, we believe clean air and healthy communities’ matter. Every child deserves to learn and grow in a safe environment.
