COVINGTON, Va. – Students in Alleghany Highlands Public Schools head back to school and back to routine on Wednesday, including those at Covington Middle School.
The school closed for weeks earlier this year after students and staff reported illness due to elevated carbon monoxide levels. The school division says the building is now safe but one major fix for the school is still not ready.
The school division planned to install a dedicated outdoor air system (DOAS) to improve airflow and overall air quality in the school, but that won’t be ready for a few more weeks, leaving some parents concerned.
“I’m worried about his health coming into the school with all the smells that they had and everything. I don’t want my son here,” said Richard Hosey, a parent of a new student at the school.
The situation began in January when students and staff reported being sick because of an odor in the school. Crews later found a stove had been leaking carbon monoxide due to a faulty ventilation system.
The school was closed to in-person learning for six weeks, and new carbon monoxide detectors were installed. It reopened March 18, with tests finding the school was safe. But still some students and staff were relocated inside the school after more odors were reported.
Some parents later filed for an injunction to keep the school closed for the remainder of the school year. On April 23, a judge ruled against the parents, saying they did not meet “the burden of irreparable harm.”
“We outlined in great detail the steps that have been taken by the school division to address indoor air quality,” said Rodney Young, attorney for the school division, following the April hearing.
That included upgrades to the school’s ventilation system. But in a letter to parents and teachers last week, the principal said a new outdoor air system will not be ready in time for the start of classes.
“This is an inconvenience, not a safety issue,” wrote Principal Lori Mattson. “The same air quality protocols that were in place last spring have continued throughout the summer and will remain in place until the new unit is fully operational.”
Some parents remain skeptical.
“Then they shouldn’t be having the school open until that’s in. Proven fact,” Hosey said.
In the letter, the principal said the work is still scheduled to be completed this fall. Crews will install the unit on a weekend to avoid classroom interruptions.