The large number of US children living with asthma—and the huge financial toll the disease takes
on families and communities—indicate a serious need for improved asthma management and care. Schools are an ideal setting for providing asthma management programs and care for children, due to the length of time children spend in school, the fact that programs are able to reach children who may not be reached through other settings, and because educational opportunities regarding asthma can be incorporated into existing infrastructure. Many programs have attained positive outcomes in improving asthma selfmanagement in schools, improving asthma-related health outcomes, and decreasing both school absenteeism and asthma-related health care utilization.9-14 Unfortunately, it is often challenging to sustain these effective programs in the school setting, due to constraints on finances, staff, and other resources.