Principal: School air quality is being improved

By Tom Fontaine
Herald Staff Writer

A Hermitage Education Association member told school directors Monday that air quality inside the high school was so poor three teachers had fainted while inside the building.

By Tuesday, conditions inside the building were improving, an administrator said. The school’s renovation project was to blame for the poor air quality, said Bill Gibb, speaking for the teacher’s group Monday. The project was also exacerbating asthmatic conditions, upping the doses of needed antihistamines and simply making teachers sick, he said.

Gibb added that he was concerned about the welfare of teachers and students alike. Director Gene Martuccio said the quality of the air had been tested, and that it passed safety standards. “It is a legitimate concern though,” Martuccio added.

Gibb asked the board to impose random air-quality testing inside the school. “It will give a true reading of the air quality,” he said.

Martuccio said the district could demand mandatory, or random, testing of the air. Martuccio asked Gibb to raise the same concerns at today’s construction committee meeting. Conditions inside the school, however, began to improve as early as Tuesday, said Dr. Kathleen Nogay, high school principal, Wednesday.

Nogay said administrators met with the project architect and contractors Tuesday to address concerns about conditions inside the building.

Almost immediately, she added, floors and work areas were cleaned up and barriers were set up at various locations to contain the flow of dusty air throughout the building. “It has been much better,” Nogay said.

“We realize it’s a tough (continual cleanup) job with a building-wide project. But that is their challenge,” Nogay added.

“It is already much improved and we expect things to continue to improve,” Nogay said. She added that as the project moves to the second phase and beyond, it will create less of a mess inside the building.

Back to TOP // Herald Local news // Local news headlines // Herald Home page

Questions/comments: online@sharon-herald.com
For info about advertising on our site or Web-site creation: advertising@sharon-herald.com

012700