Board: Laura Donovan media center air issue remediated; district applied for water grant to replace outlets with detectable lead

The Freehold Township School District Board of Education was told at its meeting that the district completed remediation of an air-quality issue in the Laura Donovan School media center and has applied for a state water grant to replace drinking fountains and sinks that show any detectable lead.

The administrator said a service vendor performed a deep cleaning over the Labor Day weekend and an environmental consulting firm performed air sampling before and after the work. "That air sample... was clear. The room was clear and subsequently reopened," the administrator said. The district paid for a six-hour turnaround on one test so the room could be returned to use as quickly as possible.

District staff described inventory and documentation work supporting the water grant application. Property services staff members Steve Turley and Mick Boudo worked with the vendor to collect data and inventory outlets; a staff member identified as Ali assisted with uploading files and submitting the application to the state. The administrator said the grant request asks that, if awarded, any drinking fountain or sink with any detectable level of lead be replaced with a new outlet and a filtration system, but added that the final scope will depend on how much funding the state awards.

A parent had asked at the meeting why they had not heard subsequent follow-up about earlier lead testing. The administrator said outlets that previously exceeded acceptable levels have either been remediated or are not accessible to students and staff.

Board members did not request additional immediate action beyond the remediation and the pending grant application; district staff said they would share further updates if the grant is awarded.