Randolph schools say Codman Square Health Center dust tested safe after contractor sign caused alarm

Superintendent Dr. Stovell told the Randolph Public Schools School Committee on April 3 that contractors working at the Codman Square Health Center stirred visible drywall dust and later posted an asbestos sign, prompting calls from families and multiple agency inspections.

The superintendent said Principal John Licorice, Paul Visconti and central-office staff met with contractors and sent letters to families and staff. "There has been no asbestos abatement while kids are in the building," Stovell said. "We would not have students. We would not have teachers. We would not have our administrators in a building that, we believe to be unsafe." She added that the first night of abatement occurred after students were not present.

Why this matters: the family resource center formerly at Codman Square was relocated to a North Street site and remains in use; parents and staff raised health concerns after seeing dust and a posted sign. The district said three agencies and the local board of health inspected the site and cleared it; Stovell said testing showed the airborne material was drywall dust, not asbestos. The district asked the contractor to provide ongoing updates and said it will not reopen the area until air-quality checks and required clearances are completed.

Details reported to the committee: the construction area had been partitioned and contractors were working in zones that, the superintendent said, redirected debris outside the building. The district confirmed one child with asthma reported symptoms at the time of the dust event; school officials said that family and staff were notified and that appropriate public-health agencies responded. Stovell said the district received multiple calls to agencies including the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the local board of health.

The district sent at least two written notices to families and staff the day of the incident, Stovell said, and a later letter summarized the inspection results and the contractor's corrective steps. The committee heard that contractors have since wrapped partitions and staged work to move materials directly outdoors to a dumpster and are not performing active abatement while students occupy the building.

The superintendent said the district will keep families informed as abatement and clearance steps continue and reiterated that no occupied school spaces will be returned to service until air-quality testing and official clearance are complete.