Since the Kyrene Elementary School District closed the Kyrene de la Sierra school on Monday, hundreds of elementary students have been taking classes online until they are relocated to another campus by next week.
The district hired Dominion Environmental Consultants to perform air quality tests to identify the odors parents and staff had reported, last week which led to the closure.
A roofing project is underway, which may have produced the “kerosene or tar-like” smell in the building.
Following the U.S. Green Building Council guidelines, the Dominion report shared that “tVOC (Total Volatile Organic Compound) levels should ideally be below 500 parts per billion (ppb). Studies have indicated that health complaints in buildings typically begin when the VOC levels inside of the building exceed 3,000 ppb.”
According to the findings, the total Volatile Organic Compounds in the air had exceeded the ideal amount by over 20 times.
Erin Helm with the Kyrene school district said, “They continue to show higher than normal particle readings. It will take five to seven days to get official results and to determine whether these results are connected to the materials used in the roof.”
There have been four tests so far, with the last one recorded on Aug. 5.
Workers are now using industrial fans with ventilation tubing and making sure all vents are sealed to reduce the odor, however, the smell is still strong in the suspended ceiling.
By Aug. 7, students will be able to connect with their teachers virtually. And for the families who do not already rely on the school’s bus services, they are encouraged to complete a survey by 4 p.m. to arrange their students’ pickup and drop-off at a predetermined YMCA or preschool.
The nearly 500 students will be relocated to the Cerritos and Altadeña campus starting Monday, Aug. 11, but preschoolers will only attend Cerritos.
The Kyrene District says none of the de la Sierra students will be separated from their teachers or classmates while they are at their temporary schools. Procedures are in place to ensure that the grade-schoolers will be separated from the middle schoolers.
School officials say they have worked out new bus routes and schedules for the students at the Cerritos campus.
The roof work involving asphalt and off-gassing should be completed by October when students are expected to return to the Sierra School after the fall break.
