The built environment plays an increasingly important role in protecting humans from health and climate risks. Specifically, with regard to education, building design and technology policy can help mitigate the risks of disease transmission and provide sustainable healthy areas for students who spend a majority of their days in these spaces. As shelter-in-place orders around the US have lifted and cities are entering different phases of opening protocols, questions about the safety of public school buildings to students and educators. While the public education system has been historically slow to adapt its infrastructure, in the midst of a pandemic world, it is more crucial than ever to think critically about retrofits, solutions, and policy guidelines to enable a safe school environment before allowing students to return. This event will highlight the current situation in local governments as they assess the efficacy of school building solutions and policies.