The Hidden Crisis: 103 Carbon Monoxide Incidents Have Poisoned Students Across America's Schools in the Last Five Years

Today, CO Safe Schools is releasing "Poisoned at School: The Five Year Snapshot," an Impact Brief, analyzing 103 carbon monoxide incidents that occurred in U.S. daycares, K–12 schools, and college campuses between August 2020 and July 2025.

The findings are both shocking and preventable. Over 579 people were injured, including more than 200 students hospitalized, and at least three confirmed deaths on campus properties. These numbers don't even count the thousands who were evacuated or the countless others whose symptoms may have been dismissed or misdiagnosed.

As a mother whose own children survived carbon monoxide poisoning at their daycare, I know these aren't just statistics; they represent real families whose lives were forever changed by preventable tragedies. But I also know that data drives change, and this report provides the evidence our nation needs to finally take carbon monoxide in schools seriously.

The Numbers That Should Us Awake at Night

Geographic Reality Check: This isn't just a "cold weather problem." While the Northeast leads with 37 incidents, the South follows closely with 35. From Maine to California, incidents were reported in over 30 states plus D.C., proving carbon monoxide is a nationwide threat to our children.

Texas leads the nation with 11 incidents in just five years. Combined with Massachusetts, New York, and Connecticut, these four states account for 33% of all incidents nationwide.

Public schools are bearing the brunt: Nearly 70% of all incidents occurred in public schools, with elementary schools, where our youngest and most vulnerable students spend their days, accounting for one-third of all school-related CO poisonings.

College students aren't safe either: Thirteen incidents occurred in campus housing where students sleep, turning what should be safe learning environments into potential death traps.

The Detection Gap That's Putting Lives at Risk

Here's what should outrage every parent, administrator, and safety official reading this: Based on reporting provided, only 1 in 5 incidents had carbon monoxide alarms that were installed and working.

Let that sink in. In 56% of cases, detection status wasn't even reported to the public, leaving families completely in the dark about whether their children and loved ones were protected. Thirteen incidents had no alarms installed at all. Eight had alarms that were installed but failed when needed most.

In three cases, danger was only discovered because someone happened to have a personal portable alarm. Think about that: lives were saved by luck, not by institutional protection.

The Sources of School-based Carbon Monoxide incidents: Known and Preventable

Nearly 70% of incidents traced back to fixed or portable equipment—boilers, HVAC systems, generators, and other combustion appliances. These aren't mysterious, unpreventable accidents. They're the result of inadequate maintenance, poor detection, and insufficient training.

Building-level ventilation failures were responsible for nearly 1 in 10 cases, highlighting how modern energy-efficient construction and retrofitted older buildings can create dangerous conditions.

Fixed sources (installed appliances, HVAC, boilers): 44% of cases

Portable sources (generators, vehicles, gas-powered equipment): 24% of cases

Ventilation failures: 8% of cases

The tragedy? Most of these causes are entirely preventable with proper detection, more frequent inspection, and staff training.

When CO Was Detected, the Levels Were Deadly

In the 14 incidents where carbon monoxide levels were actually reported to the public, the average was 462 parts per million. To put that in perspective, exposure to 400 ppm can be life-threatening within 1-3 hours. Some children and staff were breathing air that could kill them.

The other 89 incidents didn't inform the public of exposure levels at all, leaving families unable to make informed decisions about their loved ones' healthcare needs or long-term monitoring.

Why This Report Matters to YOU

If you're a school administrator: This data shows your legal and moral obligation to protect students goes far beyond what you might have imagined. The liability exposure is real, the solutions are available, and the cost of inaction is measured in children's lives.

If you're a parent: You now have the questions to ask and the evidence to demand answers. Don't accept "we've never had a problem" as an answer—56% of incidents happened in buildings where detection status was never even assessed or reported.

If you're a fire marshal or safety official: This report provides the regional patterns, source analysis, and detection failure data you need to strengthen enforcement and target inspections where they're needed most.

If you're in the safety industry: The market need is documented, the technical gaps are clear, and the opportunity to save lives while building your business has never been more evident.

If you're a policymaker: State-by-state breakdown shows exactly where legislative action or updated code adoption is most urgently needed, and the injury data demonstrates the public health crisis that demands your attention.

The Uncomfortable Truth About Prevention

Every single incident in this report was preventable. Every hospitalization. Every death. Every panicked evacuation of elementary school children.

We have the technology to detect carbon monoxide reliably. We understand the building science that creates dangerous conditions. We know which appliances and systems pose the greatest risks.

What we lack is the collective will to prioritize our children's safety over budget concerns, bureaucratic inertia, and the dangerous assumption that "it won't happen here."

From Data to Action

This report isn't just an academic exercise, it's a roadmap for protecting America's 50 million students. The patterns are clear, the solutions are available, and the moral imperative is undeniable.

We've documented the crisis. Now it's time to end it.

Download "Poisoned at School: The Five Year Snapshot" and share it with your network. 

Forward it to your child's principal. Present it at your next school board meeting. Use it to advocate for proper detection systems. Share it with your state legislators.

The next incident doesn't have to happen. The next hospitalization doesn't have to occur. The next death doesn't have to be. But only if we act on what we now know.

Our children are counting on us. The data shows we're failing them. It's time to do better.

Download the full "Poisoned at School: The Five Year Snapshot." Share your story or report a CO incident that's not currently included on our list by reaching out.

CO Safe Schools is a grassroots project run by Nikki James Zellner and is dedicated to protecting students, educators, and families from preventable carbon monoxide poisoning in educational and caregiving settings.