Fire department closes North Texas school due to high carbon dioxide levels
School closed due to high carbon dioxide levels
FOX 4 obtained state records revealing elevated carbon dioxide (CO2) levels inside Maypearl Primary School since at least December, around the same time parents started complaining about students feeling sick. The fire department forced the campus to shut down on Tuesday.
MAYPEARL, Texas - Poor air quality forced the shutdown of a North Texas school.
Multiple air quality tests showed high levels of carbon dioxide and other issues.
The closure is happening at a Maypearl ISD school in Ellis County, about 40 miles south of Dallas.
The fire department shut it down, forcing the district to make repairs.
Parents complained their kids were feeling sick. One mother says she first brought up the problems back in December.
What we know:
FOX 4 obtained state records revealing elevated carbon dioxide (CO2) levels inside Maypearl Primary School since at least December, around the time parents started raising concerns.
On Tuesday, Maypearl’s fire chief temporarily closed the school because of high levels.
In the most recent air quality test from the state, there was also evidence of water leaks, dust buildup, clutter and other issues that may cause respiratory or allergic problems.
Dig deeper:
Elevated CO2 in buildings can be caused by poor air quality.
Elevated CO2 can also cause a wide range of issues like headaches, dizziness and respiratory problems.
What they're saying:
Multiple parents tell FOX 4 they believe building conditions might be causing health issues for their kids.
Rachel Girard’s daughter was a student at Maypearl Primary School. She says she’s not taking her child back to that school building.
"I would like to see a resolution that’s permanent," she said.
Girard says it’s a difficult decision to remove her child from a school where she loves her friends.
"Unfortunately, I feel like that’s my duty as a parent to step in and make that decision for her because she cannot make it on her own," she said.
Maypearl ISD's Response
The other side:
Maypearl ISD Superintendent Ritchy Bowling turned down FOX 4’s request for an interview, only forwarding us a letter sent to parents saying, "Our district has been actively working with professional HVAC engineers… to identify and resolve the air quality issues."
The superintendent says repairs include "connecting motorized outside air dampers to the air handling units (AHU) and installing larger exhaust fans in restrooms to bring the facility up to current building codes."
"We recognize the stress and inconvenience caused by this unexpected school closure and want to assure you that your children's safety is our highest priority," the letter went on to say.
Maypearl Police Chief John Shelton is also the emergency management coordinator. He says he supports the fire chief’s decision to temporarily close the school.
What's next:
Maypearl ISD believes it’ll have repairs done in time to get kids back to school by Friday.
The Source: