I imagine that with very rare exception (such as someone vomiting) the school is not using any of those cleaning supplies in proximity to your child. Lunch tables are wiped down between classes, rooms are cleaned after school. Construction and building improvements almost always occurs over break unless something breaks.

If your child is bothered at school, more than likely it is due to the general dirt, dust, pollen tracked into the buildings by the kids.

I fail to see how something like bleach used to clean the cafeteria in the afternoon is strong enough almost 24 hours later to give your kid a violent allergic reaction.

And if you are asking for a similar accomodation as a nut allergic kid, what you might get is your kid sitting alone at a table cleaned by vinegar while everyone else sits at the table cleaned by bleach or whatever they use.

Also, many schools use bleach as a staple cleaning item because it is one of the most effective and economical cleansers to fight staph, a big priority in schools especially on PE equipment like mats.

Good luck. I seriously doubt you are going to end up with the resolution you want.

thanks everyone. My child can get documentation from the doctor. He does have serious asthma and can get to the point where he can't breathe. I really hope they take it seriously. He has medication which helps, but sometimes his asthma is so bad, the medication doesn't do the job. It depends what he is exposed to.

OP - do you have documentation from your pediatrician or an allergist? You may need something like this. Contact the school system (or the principal at your child's prospective school) to see what you need to do.
Good luck - this actually sounds like a hard sell.

thank you. How do I go about making sure they accommodate my child in the same way they might accommodate a child with peanut allergies? Who do I talk to?

I think this falls under the requirement for "reasonable accomodations" for physical disabilities. They don't have to change to baking soda to accomodate your child, but they would have to find a place that is safe for your child to breath. Maybe he/she would go to a different room when there are cleaning teams working near his/her room. Same if there is construction. The school is not going to change chemicals if they are considered safe for 99.999% of the population. But, your child is entitled to an education that doesn't make him/her sick.... in some extreme cases, that might even mean keeping the child at home or in a safe chamber in a hospital and having a home-school teacher come in.

Think of the accomodations for peanut allergies. The public school doesn't have to keep the school peanut-free, but they accommodate the allergic child by putting them in a peanut-free room or lunch table. If that alone was insufficient, then the child probably can't be in "public" school (i.e. exposed to public germs/smells/molecules).

i am not sure if there are hard and fast rules. I would talk to the school, and find out what they will do. Generally, they will work with you. However, keep in mind that schools are germ factories, and have to be cleaned aggressively.

My child is chemically-sensitive and has reactions for cleaning supplies (even things as simple as 409 or windex, lysol). What are the rules about cleaning supplies used at schools? How about pesticides? He is highly reactive to the Orkin man as well. Also, if we do any construction, painting, in our home, he becomes very ill and has respiratory issues. I am just wondering what the rules are in VA public schools -- are they required to notify parents when using pesticides, cleaning, or doing construction? Do they use mild, eco-friendly cleaning supplies? My son seems to be OK when I use backing soda, vinegar to clean -- it's just the harsh, stronger smelling stuff that really bothers him and dust from construction causes issues. His asthma acts up and he says he has trouble breathing. It can become rather serious.

Any advice would be appreciated. He is 5 years old and about to start public school.