Parent urges Bend‑LaPine to adopt stricter wildfire smoke indoor rules and monitor IAQ

A parent told the Bend‑LaPine School Board on June 17 that the district should adopt stricter rules and monitoring to protect students from wildfire smoke.

Amanda Dayton, a parent of an elementary and a middle school student, said Central Oregon now experiences more than 20 unhealthy air days per year from wildfires and that Bend was recently among the “top five smokiest places in the country” during wildfire season. Dayton asked the district to be more proactive: “Currently, the district does not require students to be indoors until the AQI is above 200. This is in accordance with the guidance from the Oregon Health Authority, but it is not in line with guidance from every other state in the West.”

She cited the 150 AQI threshold used by school districts in California, Washington, Idaho, Montana and Utah and urged Bend‑LaPine to set a 150 cutoff and to measure indoor air quality (IAQ) in school buildings.

Board procedure and next steps: the meeting chair said a district staff member would follow up with Dayton. There was no formal board action taken during the meeting.

Why it matters: particulate matter from wildfire smoke (PM2.5) has known health risks for children, including aggravated asthma and other respiratory and cardiovascular impacts; parents and public‑health advocates widely debate the AQI level that should trigger moving outdoor activities indoors.

No change in district policy was recorded at the meeting; the district will review the request and staff will follow up with the speaker.