Residents, teachers raise staffing and environmental concerns at High School North during public comment

During the public-comment portion of the May 19 L'Anse Creuse Board of Education meeting, several speakers urged the board to prioritize classroom-level positions over administrative reductions and asked for a transparent response to environmental concerns at L'Anse Creuse High School North.

A resident representing families said students who were in early grades during pandemic-era closures still face lingering academic and social needs; they criticized proposed staffing cuts that would reduce frontline staff who work directly with students. The speaker asked the board to reconsider reductions that, they said, would "leave the fat at the top and cut the meat at the bottom," a characterization the board did not endorse as a formal position.

Kelly McDevitt, president of the L'Anse Creuse Education Association (LCEA), described a teacher-led intervention for a student experiencing housing instability and used the example to highlight the breadth of noninstructional support classroom teachers provide. McDevitt detailed how a teacher coordinated community resources to provide clothing, bedding and household items that helped the student secure stable housing and return to the classroom; McDevitt said the story illustrates the extra-classroom needs teachers often help meet.

Yvonne Michalski, a resident and parent, followed with a detailed account of ongoing environmental concerns at L'Anse Creuse High School North. Michalski said an industrial hygienist and air sampling have taken place but urged comprehensive testing beyond short-term air samples: attic and roof inspection, ductwork swabs for mold and mycotoxins, carbon-monoxide and septic-gas checks, electromagnetic-field (EMF) screening and other targeted tests. She said district-distributed cords recently smelled of mold and asked whether storage procedures and distribution of materials have been reviewed. Michalski asked the board to confirm that any water intrusion and ventilation problems are being remediated and that families will be fully informed of findings and remediation steps.

Superintendent Howell and administrative staff responded in part by noting that inspections and air sampling had been performed and that roof work had been observed at the site; administration did not announce a completed remediation plan in the open meeting. Michalski and other speakers requested further, transparent follow-up, including results of environmental testing and details about any planned roof or ductwork repairs.

Board members acknowledged the public comments. Several members thanked staff and teachers for the year’s accomplishments and said they would continue to receive updates from administration. The board did not take new formal action on environmental testing or staffing during the meeting; any follow-up would be handled through administrative updates and future agenda items.