In general, concentrations of airborne asbestos fibers in American schools that contain asbestos-bearing construction materials remain well below the legal limit of asbestos in the workplace, and are generally comparable to the concentration of asbestos in the air outside of the schools. This is because the asbestos is bound into the building materials and is not exposed to the air unless the material is damaged.

Below is a table of death rates for a variety of causes, including asbestos exposure in schools.