As Kyrene de la Sierra Elementary School continues to grapple with air quality concerns, the Kyrene School District has laid bare the extent of the pollution through a recent report. The report states that air quality measurements were found to be 28 times higher than acceptable levels, as per guidelines from the U.S. Green Building Council. The school, currently closed due to these concerns, is facing a dilemma as levels of total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs) measured an alarmingly high 14,000, according to an ABC15 report.
Students have shifted to online classes and anticipate relocation to neighboring campuses following an air quality test by Dominion Environmental Consultants, which unveiled tVOC level over 20 times the ideal amount, this information was gleaned from a KJZZ article. Erin Helm with the Kyrene school district noted that while steps are being taken to mitigate the issue including the usage of industrial fans and sealing of vents, the smell persists in the suspended ceiling despite the measures taken.
According to the KJZZ, the offensiveness of the odor, described as "kerosene or tar-like," can be pinned down to a roofing project that has been in progress and may have resulted in the polluted indoor atmosphere. The tests to confirm this will however, take about five to seven days for official results. In the interim, families have been encouraged to complete a survey to arrange for student pickups and drop-offs, as nearly 500 students are due to restart their education journey at the Cerritos and Altadeña campuses.
It's not just the smell or the logistical reshuffling that worries parents, but the health implications, as Amber Kraft, an air quality expert, warned in an interview with ABC15; symptoms like headaches, dizziness, and irritation are commonly associated with exposure to high levels of VOC compounds. Kyrene District has assured that none of the Sierra School students will be separated from their teachers or classmates in their temporary locations, and new bus routes have been established to help facilitate the transition to the Cerritos campus, ensuring the students are kept apart from the older middle schoolers.
The Kyrene School District is acting with urgency on these findings and plans a retest of the air quality at Sierra Elementary before welcoming back students and staff to the campus, with the hopes that the roof work and subsequent emissions will be cleared up by October after the fall break, as parents like Charli, who expressed concerns about the school's initial response to the odors, wait for a resolution.
