Includes bibliographical references.

Introduction -- A growing trend: siting schools near contaminated land -- Children's special vulnerabilities -- Rising rates of disease in children -- What makes children especially vulnerable to environmental chemicals? -- The school siting process: factors that influence where new schools are located -- Examples of schools built on or near contaminated land -- 50 state survey: existing school siting laws, policies and regulations -- Model school siting legislation: guidance for acquiring school property and evaluating existing sites -- Key elements of a protective school siting policy -- Ensuring meaningful participation in school siting decisions -- Categorical exclusion of candidate sites -- Evaluating candidate sites -- Developing a cleanup plan for a contaminated site -- The last resort: building on a highly contaminated site -- Action steps: for parents and community representatives -- Table A-1: New York State recommended soil cleanup objectives for chemicals commonly found at contaminated sites -- Table A-2: adverse health effects associated with chemicals commonly found at contaminated sites -- Complete list of New York State recommended soil cleanup objectives.