What the law requires
Section 12 of Act 72 of 2021 says each public school and approved independent school must:1
- perform a radon measurement, following the ANSI/AARST protocol for schools and large buildings, on any facility that has not had a test completed in five or more years;1
- make the results available to each employee and student at the school.1
What the Health Department tells schools
The Health Department’s guidance for schools includes:2
- Hire a certified radon measurement professional.2
- Notify parents, guardians and school staff before and after you receive results, and post results to your school’s website.2
- Install a radon mitigation system or adjust HVAC settings if any results are at or above 4.0 pCi/L. Consider mitigating or adjusting HVAC settings if any results are at or above 2.0 pCi/L.2
- Retest every five years, or whenever significant changes are made to the building’s structure or mechanical systems.2
How common is high radon in Vermont schools?
According to the Health Department, about 12% of Vermont schools that have tested for radon since 2005 have radon levels above the EPA action level of 4.0 pCi/L, with some as high as five times the action level.2
What parents can do
- Ask your school for its results. The law requires schools to make them available to each employee and student,1 and the Health Department tells schools to post them on the school’s website.2
- Test your home too. Unless you test for it, there is no way of knowing if radon is in your home or child care facility.3 At or above 4.0 pCi/L, the Health Department and EPA recommend reducing radon levels.3
Child care
A Vermont Department for Children and Families fact sheet says the second largest contributor to a child’s radon exposure is likely to be their child care facility.8 For centers, it says to hire a radon measurement professional certified by the National Radon Proficiency Program or the National Radon Safety Board.8 The Health Department’s guide for child care providers says to order a radon test kit for your facility, because unless you test for it, there is no way of knowing if radon is in it.9
Family child care homes are homes: How to test your home covers the Health Department Lab’s kits.
Common questions
Do Vermont schools have to test for radon?
Yes. A 2021 law requires public schools and approved independent schools to perform a radon measurement on any facility that has not had a test completed in five or more years, and to make the results available to each employee and student.1 In 2022, the deadline was extended to June 30, 2025.2
Can I see my child’s school radon results?
The law requires each school to make its results available to each employee and student.1 The Health Department tells schools to notify parents before and after they receive results and to post results to the school’s website.2
What should a school do if radon is high?
The Health Department tells schools to install a radon mitigation system or adjust HVAC settings if any results are at or above 4.0 pCi/L, and to consider it at or above 2.0 pCi/L.2
Last reviewed How we source facts
Sources
9 official sources
- Vermont Legislature. Act 72 (2021), Sec. 12: Radon testing; school facilities (as enacted). Checked 2026-10-17. ↩
- Vermont Department of Health. Radon in Schools. Checked 2026-10-17. ↩
- Vermont Department of Health. Guide for Parents and Caregivers. Checked 2026-10-17. ↩
- Vermont Department of Health Laboratory. Radon Test Kits (Health Department Lab webstore). Checked 2026-10-17. ↩
- Vermont Department of Health. Radon in Your Home. Checked 2026-10-17. ↩
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Home Buyer’s and Seller’s Guide to Radon (EPA 402/K-24/001, March 2024). Checked 2026-10-17. ↩
- Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors (CRCPD). Consumer Digital Radon Monitors (CRCPD guidance, reprinted in The Radon Reporter, Q4 2025, p. 39). Checked 2026-10-17. ↩
- Vermont Department for Children and Families. Radon in Child Care Centers (fact sheet, December 2022). Checked 2026-10-17. ↩
- Vermont Department of Health. Guide for Child Care Providers. Checked 2026-10-17. ↩