Superintendent Thomas Scarice: 

Good morning,

On September 24 I provided an update to the Long Lots community on matters related to the school facility.  During that time, a series of concerns related to air quality were raised, and since then, these conditions have been remediated and successful retesting of indoor air was administered.

A comprehensive baseline indoor air quality assessment was performed by industrial hygienist consultant, Langan CT, Inc., on July 30, 2021. This survey included an interior and exterior visual inspection of the facility, as well as a comprehensive air sampling of 22 interior spaces and 6 exterior spaces.  This valuable assessment demonstrated that the indoor air at Long Lots School (i.e. the air that individuals breathe in) all fell within the normal ranges when tested for fungal spores and particles with the exception of two locations, the auditorium and Room 9.  These two locations demonstrated slightly elevated levels of Aspergillus/Penicillium when compared to outdoor air. 

The two primary areas were appropriately addressed, and as you are likely aware, the auditorium reopened in December.  The continued source of elevated spore counts in Room 9 emanate from a doorway leading to an underground utility crawl space that traces along the building. This room remains problematic and will remain offline for the foreseeable future.

Consequently, it was decided Room 9 would be folded into the comprehensive study of the building envelope (i.e. windows, doors, etc.), which began in August and was reported to the Board of Education on January 18, 2022.  Any resolutions to this area will be incorporated into the Board’s long-term capital plan.

An additional small area within a section ceiling tiles was remediated in a non-instructional area as well since then. As a matter of protocol, in these instances, the source of water incursion is identified, addressed to prevent further incursion, and tiles are replaced where appropriate. 

The following statement was made in my September 24 message and is worthy of reiterating:

CDC Information
According to the CDC, Aspergillus/Penicillium is a common mold that lives indoors and outdoors, and since most people breathe in fungal spores every day, “It’s probably impossible to completely avoid breathing in some Aspergillus spores. For people with healthy immune systems, breathing in Aspergillus isn’t harmful.” (https://www.cdc.gov/fungal/diseases/aspergillosis/causes.html)

However, to be clear, this information is not intended to minimize any compromises in indoor air quality.  In fact, for some individuals with allergies to mold, such compromised indoor air could lead to health problems.  If we find mold, we follow EPA protocols for “Mold Removal in Schools and Commercial Buildings”.  We remediate where necessary using proper containment procedures and negative air pressure, and then clean and retest before re-occupying the space.  

Beyond that, our standards for the quality of indoor air necessitate that any instances that affect indoor air quality are addressed immediately by following proper procedures based on the individual incident.  We proactively work to prevent recurrences by optimizing HVAC systems and preventing moisture incursions.  For mold to grow, there needs to be moisture and a food source (I.e. paper, cardboard, etc.).  Once again, if we find mold, we remediate using appropriate procedures for the specific incident, clean and work to prevent further occurrences by determining and fixing the moisture source. 

Next Steps
The final building envelope study and evaluation of the building mechanicals and HVAC system were performed and also publicly reported at the January 18 meeting of the Board of Education. Those reports can be found here  https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1642537256/westport/bygfuys6eg4njq91oaqg/WPSLLESCostRecommendations.pdf and here https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1642117256/westport/nqjhnsmln4pnhmr6t7kk/WestportLongLotsESPCAReport12-16-211.pdf.  Together, the results of these two assessments will inform a holistic plan, with options for Board of Education consideration, to provide a long-term strategy for Long Lots Elementary School. 

Long Lots Elementary School is not an unsafe building.  This statement is backed up by comprehensive testing done by industrial hygienists. The district will vigilantly work to ensure that appropriate levels of indoor air quality are maintained.  To that end, the district has engaged Langan, CT, industrial hygienists to develop a plan for the ongoing monitoring of key indicators.  This will enable quick responses in the event of any emerging compromised conditions.  This will be done visually and digitally by monitoring temperature and humidity levels regularly, along with periodic air sampling of various areas of the building performed by Langan. 

At the January 18 meeting of the Board of Education, our facilities consulting partner, Colliers International, committed to developing a final draft recommendation of long-term options for the Board of Education to review and consider by mid-April.  I want to assure the Long Lots community that this is a high priority for the Board and district administration, and there is no intention of letting this decision making process languish. Mid-April is our target to publicly share long-term options and we intend to hit that target.   

In the meantime, I encourage you to review the reports embedded above.  Additional updates, particularly if the timeline is modified, will be forthcoming from my office.  Thank you for your patience as we look to expedite this process so that a long-term strategy is deliberated publicly and decided in order to advance this work in a timely manner. 

Sincerely,

Thomas Scarice
Superintendent of Schools