PINE BUSH CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
February 8, 2018
Dear PBE Parent:
I am writing to inform you of some pending construction at your child’s elementary school that will require us to take actions quite noticeable to our students, staff and visitors at PBE. I have authorized this construction to help guarantee the health and safety of our students and staff.
As you may be aware, in the wee hours of the morning, January 9, 2018, a pipe burst in the ceiling of a kindergarten classroom at Pine Bush Elementary School, flooding a significant portion of the school’s first floor. Upon discovery, our Operations & Maintenance personnel responded swiftly, removed all standing water and deployed measures to dry the water-affected areas. Sadly, despite these efforts, some secondary water damage and moisture issues remain.
We have continuously monitored these areas to assure student and staff safety. As part of this process, we retained the services of an industrial hygienist (IH) professional to conduct testing in areas that were previously flooded. Recently, a single classroom sample noted possible elevated mold spores and students and staff were immediately relocated from that classroom. Our IH professional has assured us that prior to the single sample concern, there had been no detected danger from mold exposure within the previously flooded areas he tested.
After consultation with the IH professional, my senior leadership team and the leadership at PBE, we have decided to eliminate the potential for possible future hazards within the recently flooded areas. We will remove building materials in those areas as a precaution to avoid potential water-related issues and avoid fostering any mold growth moving forward. These operations will be completed following New York guidelines, will require us to set-up visible containments and other air control measures, and will be completed under the direction of the IH professional who is qualified as a NYS licensed mold assessor.
To be clear, testing samples always show the presence of mold in the environment, whether inside our schools or in the general environment outdoors. While New York State provides no thresholds to designate unacceptable levels, we have decided to remove any potential problems, which will require the above-noted visible barriers and will also require us to relocate some children and staff while we clean these areas.
The first step will be to pre-emptively clean and move contents from work areas and set-up alternative spaces for students and staff. This work will occur this coming weekend. To give our contractor, ServPro, time to complete these tasks, we will have half days for students on both Friday and Monday. On Friday (2/9) we will have an early dismissal (at 11:30 a.m., so there will be no PM Pre K).On Monday (2/12), PBE students will have a three-hour delay (starting at 11:55 a.m., so there will be no AM Pre-K).
When students return on Monday, some classrooms will be in new temporary locations. Three first grade classrooms and one multi-age classroom will be relocated to E. J. Russell Elementary School (a shuttle bus will get them there and back). Within PBE, we will relocate four kindergarten classes, our Pre-K, and one second grade classroom. Since some of the alternative spaces are currently used by teachers of unified arts, instruction for those subjects (e.g. art, music, library) as well as most support services will be delivered in the children’s classrooms. The nurse and main office will move elsewhere on the first floor at PBE. The Special Programs office plus central registrar and transportation will relocate to the high school.
After student and staff relocation, water-impacted areas will be isolated from non-affected areas and the HVAC system will be sealed. Entry into these areas will be by contractor personnel only. Portions of the walls in rooms throughout the affected area will be removed and discarded. Any mold found will be removed, and the various in-wall systems will be cleaned as will the entire contained space. Cleaning will require the use of an anti-microbial and, if requested, a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for the anti-microbial will be provided by the school’s main office. Once everything has been cleaned and cleared by testing, new drywall will be applied, and the contents of the room will be returned. Our IH professional will monitor all work progress and, after consistent “clean” readings and samples, we will reoccupy the renovated space.
As I am sure you can tell, this will be an enormous undertaking for the district. We anticipate the regular presence of approximately two dozen specially trained workers on site each day. We are pressing our insurance company to allow the team to work extended hours so that we can return the building, its students and staff to their regular location and function as soon as possible.
We ask for your patience and understanding as we undertake this large remediation project. I can personally assure you that we have been proactive so that no student or staff member has been put at risk. We fully intend to complete this project, so no risk will be present in the future. I will be available, with a continuously running slide show and time to respond to questions, both tonight (Thursday) during the Art Show (6 to 7:30 p.m.) and Friday morning immediately after the early dismissal from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. I will also keep you posted throughout this project with routine updates so that you can be well informed about our progress along the way.
Sincerely,
Tim O. Mains, Superintendent Pine Bush Central School District
TOM/lmb