District posts facilities assessment RFP; air‑quality tests at two older schools find no active indoor mold source

Tewksbury School Committee members received two facilities updates on Sept. 17: (1) the district has posted a request for proposals for a facility assessment and feasibility study, and (2) an independent air‑quality assessment at two older elementary schools detected no active indoor mold source, though follow‑up testing was recommended for one unused room.

Superintendent Terry Regan said the RFP for a district‑wide facility assessment and feasibility study — a project directed by the Tewksbury School Facility Study Committee — was posted to the state central registry with a submission deadline of Oct. 15, 2025. The study will examine current and projected enrollment, educational program needs (including preschool and special education), and the condition of existing facilities. It will evaluate renovation, addition or replacement options and consider potential relocation of district services; the superintendent said the study is intended to produce a practical tool for short‑ and long‑term planning for the Select Board and the community.

Separately, the district contracted TRC to perform indoor‑air and mold assessments at Heath Brook and the Duwing School (the two oldest buildings). The maintenance foreman, John Marchand, shared highlights: TRC found no evidence of an indoor mold source in either building. Some high‑traffic indoor locations had elevated concentrations of outdoor mold spores (attributable to open doors/windows and tracked‑in dirt), and one unoccupied Duwing classroom (Room A11) had a slightly elevated Penicillium species on a sample. TRC recommended repeating mold sampling in Room A11 during December or January to verify whether a source exists. The report flagged humidity, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide levels as within recommended guidelines.

District staff said HVAC filters were cleaned and replaced over the summer and classroom portable air purifiers remain available; facilities staff will check filter replacement needs. The superintendent and facilities staff said the findings will inform the forthcoming facilities assessment and any prioritized maintenance needs.

Why this matters: the feasibility study will guide capital planning and potential project choices affecting all district schools. The air‑quality testing provides near‑term reassurance about indoor air at two older buildings while identifying a specific space for follow‑up testing.

Ending: Administration said it will provide the committee follow‑up sampling results and use the facility‑study RFP responses to develop short‑ and long‑term facility recommendations to be shared with the School Facility Study Committee and the Select Board.