Maypearl ISD reopens primary school without fire chief's approval
Maypearl reopens school without fire chief approval
Superintendent Ritchie Bowling told parents that while there’s no documentation to assure parents the school is safe, he says he’s had assurance from inspectors and HVAC professionals. Meanwhile, the fire chief says he never signed off on the school re-opening.
MAYPEARL, Texas - The fire chief for Maypearl in Ellis County tells FOX 4 he never gave clearance to reopen Maypearl Primary School after air quality concerns caused it to shut down last week.
The superintendent declined to provide specifics about the safety of the air in the school.
This happened before a packed meeting where parents lit up the school board.
What's New:
It was standing-room-only at Maypearl High School’s auditorium during the board of trustees’ emergency meeting Wednesday evening.
More than 100 people were sitting, and dozens were forced to stand.
Families wonder if some students have been sick because of the school next door.
Superintendent Ritchie Bowling told parents on Wednesday evening that some CO2 readings are slightly elevated in some areas of the school, but he says they have monitors and protocols to wash the air out of the room and quickly bring levels down.
"We are starting to see that the CO2 levels are not elevating as rapidly," he said.
At the moment, the superintendent says there’s no documentation to assure parents the school is safe but says he’s had assurance from inspectors brought in by the Texas Association of School Boards and HVAC professionals.
The backstory:
Last Tuesday, Maypearl’s fire chief shut down the primary school because of elevated carbon dioxide levels.
Documents from the Texas Association of School Boards confirmed the findings.
Elevated CO2 usually indicates poor air quality and ventilation.
Some parents claim their children have been sick for an extended time because of the primary school.
Maypearl’s police chief and Ellis County’s fire marshal supported the closure.
Maypearl ISD admits it’s been aware of the issues since November and has been making HVAC repairs and more so students and staff can return.
Pre-K through first graders missed a week of school after returning Wednesday morning.
What they're saying:
Some parents are still concerned about the air quality and believe action was not expedited.
"You disgust me," said parent Rachel Girard. "You have been well aware of this campus’ issue since our emails that started in November of 2024."
Maypearl ISD school to remain closed
The school was supposed to reopen Friday. Now, that’s not happening. Meanwhile, more parents are raising concerns about their children feeling sick.
"We should not have to worry about the air our children are breathing at school," said parent Kati Martin.
"These departments stepped in when leadership failed," said parent Jacob Smith.
The fire chief did not attend Wednesday’s meeting but told FOX 4’s David Sentendrey that he has not given permission to the district to reopen the primary school.
"Do you believe that you need the fire chief’s permission to reopen?" Sentendrey asked Superintendent Bowling.
"My understanding is that he has," he said. "But if that’s not the case, he needs to contact me. I’ve made multiple contacts to him, and he’s not returned contacts back."
Dig deeper:
Superintendent Bowling sent a detailed letter to parents outlining the timeline of events and the improvements or repairs the district has made. You can read the full letter below:
The Source: Information in this article comes from Wednesday's Maypearl ISD emergency meeting, the Maypearl fire chief and previous FOX 4 reporting.