Dear Cheboygan Families,
I am writing to provide an important update regarding the air quality situation at East Elementary School. As reported yesterday, an odor was detected in two classrooms, and there were reports of elevated Carbon Dioxide levels in one classroom (not Carbon Monoxide). I want to reassure you that the levels were not found to be dangerous. Our primary concern remains the safety and well-being of our students, and we are taking all necessary precautions to ensure a safe learning environment.
This morning, we convened a meeting with the Safety Committee to thoroughly review the situation. At 1:00 this afternoon, an After-Action committee gathered at East Elementary which included me and the Fire Department Chief, the East Elementary Principal, the Director of Building and Grounds, and representatives from Michigan Mechanical, the company that services all of our district's HVAC systems. Michigan Mechanical began a comprehensive inspection of the heating and ventilation units in every classroom to ensure they are functioning efficiently and effectively. Specifically, they are examining the fresh air intake and exhaust systems in each room. This assessment is expected to continue throughout the afternoon and into the early evening. We will only consider reopening the school once we are confident that all systems are operating properly.
Additionally, DTE (Detroit-Based Diversified Energy) conducted an inspection for Carbon Monoxide and confirmed that the levels were zero this morning. Given the results, it is clear that no Carbon Monoxide was present in the building yesterday, and there are no ongoing concerns in that regard.
To further ensure the safety of our students and staff, our Director of Building and Grounds will continue to monitor air quality at East Elementary each morning indefinitely. We are also exploring the purchase of a software monitoring system to track air quality throughout the day, which will be managed by the East Elementary Main Office.
Furthermore, to supplement our efforts, we are engaging Nova Environmental, a company specializing in air quality monitoring for public structures. As Carbon Dioxide is naturally produced by human respiration, we will need to take readings with students present in the classrooms. This will allow us to make any necessary adjustments to the intake and exhaust systems to maintain optimal air quality moving forward.
The safety of our students and staff remains our top priority, and we are committed to taking all appropriate steps to resolve this issue. I will continue to provide updates as we work through this process.
Due to the ongoing investigation and efforts to ensure the building is safe, East Elementary will be closed again tomorrow, Wednesday, February 19, 2025. We appreciate your understanding and patience as we address this matter. All other school district buildings will continue as usual.
Sincerely,
Spencer Byrd
Superintendent