WESTMINSTER-There was good news for Bellows Falls Union High School last week: Several major projects are completed or nearing completion, and air quality testing done for PCBs last week produced some very encouraging results.
The School Action Level (SAL) of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) for high schools is 100 ng/m³, and some parts of the school had tested as high as 850 ng/m³ over the past two years.
However, in testing at the school last week, the results ranged from 43 ng/m³ to 98 ng/m³ - all within acceptable levels.
Testing for PCBs contamination at the school over the last couple of years found results in some parts of the school scoring so high that portions of the facility, including the gymnasium and auditorium, were closed to student activity.
But the completed installation of new HVAC units on the school roof, along with PCB mitigation work in two utility closets next to the gym, has succeeded in decreasing the PCB contamination.
The main PCB-producing culprit seems to have been the fire retardant sprayed on the interior of the building's metal infrastructure. The 53-year-old school also has building materials such as mastic, glue, paint, and caulk - all possible PCB contamination sources.
The gym and auditorium will now be open for student activities following Thanksgiving break.
"We should not have any issues moving forward," said Rob Weltz, chair of the BFUHS board. "We are excited to have the gym available for physical education classes and our winter sports programs."
Weltz added that the large spaces of the gym and auditorium will allow the high school community to gather again for "fine arts events [and] athletic events, as well as greater community events."
After statewide testing began in 2021 as a result of a new state law requiring the testing of schools built or renovated before 1980, PCB contamination had been of major concern in many Vermont school districts. Data strongly indicate that exposure to high levels of PCBs is a possible cause of cancer.
Although there has been no indication that PCBs at BFUHS have caused any health issues at any time in the school's years of operation, Windham Northeast Supervisory Union Superintendent Andrew Haas said that getting the air quality within acceptable limits has been a major goal.
Completing projects
The new HVAC units on the roof of the school, now completed and operating, have been a major factor in mediating the PCBs.
"The HVAC system is operational, but we are still working out the quirks in balancing the system," explained Haas.
The new HVAC was one part of some $9 million in major BFUHS projects over the past year. Another such project has been the renovation of the school's science wing, which is nearing completion.
The wing contains four large, separate classrooms with working labs, two smaller connecting rooms, and plenty of room for storage.
The entire zone can be locked down instantly in the case of an emergency by swiping a key card or using a computer. The doors leading outside from the classrooms will be used only for escape in an emergency, such as a fire.
The science wing renovation used $2 million in Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Funds (ESSER). These federal monies are made available to K–12 schools out of the March 2020 Education Stabilization Act, passed in response to the pandemic.
Time to use the ESSER Funds is running out, and it was a case of "use it or lose it," Weltz said.
The new HVAC units were installed using $5 million in ESSER Funds. Roof replacement was paid for by a $2 million bond approved by voters.
The ceiling deck over the gym is also a source of PCB contamination. It is being tested and will likely be replaced next year.
The science wing, with its four huge labs and white and purple tile floors to match the school's colors, is on schedule to be occupied following the December school break. It will give BFUHS its first fully functioning science labs in many years.
Weltz said that he wanted to recognize Windham Northeast Supervisory Union Superintendent Andy Haas, high school Principal Kelly O'Ryan, and Facilities Director Jeff Potter, "for the efforts in getting us spaces back up and running effectively."
He added, "The new science wing provides closed spaces for learning within the academic area, with state-of-the-art laboratories to provide hands-on learning. We are looking forward to hosting a community night to showcase our new modern spaces sometime in January."
"The Science Wing is progressing nicely," said Haas. "We expect to have all the science classes relocated back to the new rooms for second semester, which is in January. However, they will be completed prior to that, and teachers may slowly begin to move back in before the end of the first semester. They are beautiful!"
O'Ryan said that "we expect to be able to move the lab furniture beginning the second week of December and then can begin supporting our science team by moving into those spaces."
She said that the "modern facilities" will "support a more robust curricular experience for our students."
New seating, better accommodations
Water-damaged carpet and chairs in the newly painted auditorium have been replaced. The cost was covered by insurance money and some ESSER funds.
The new seating allows ample space for wheelchairs around the auditorium, and in what O'Ryan describes as "more-inclusive seating options," the chairs themselves come in a variety of sizes, suitable for anyone from small children to large adults.
In fact, the auditorium was used the last full weekend in November for a band showcase - a fitting inauguration of the new seating, Haas said.
"The building was brimming with nearly 250 area students and music teachers as part of the Connecticut Valley Music Festival Association district concert," O'Ryan said.
"It was thrilling to see the auditorium back online and able to host such an important event and help to invigorate our arts programming at the high school," she added.
O'Ryan noted that, while some work remains in the auditorium around improvements to the sound and lighting, "we are excited to be back into the space and are thrilled to resume hosting our spring musicals in the space this March."
The school is also working "to create more inclusive and student centered seating around the building, including in our halls, the library, and the café," O'Ryan explained.
"Kelly and her staff have done a wonderful job with the vision," Haas said.
"It's been a challenge but really exciting to see the fruits of our labor," Ryan added, "and I'm excited to see students and staff be able to begin accessing these spaces again."
The BFUHS school board voted in September to approve the bond for replacement of the school driveway. That project is scheduled to be done during the summer of 2025.
This News item by Robert F. Smith was written for The Commons.