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Parent raises heating and odor concerns; district says leak contained and Department of Health cleared affected area
Summary
A parent reported a strong odor at the high school after a pipe burst. District staff said maintenance contained the leak, air scrubbers were installed and the Department of Health verified no ongoing hazard.
At the Jan. 16 meeting of the McKeesport Area School District Board of School Directors, parent Stephanie Graham raised concerns about a “horrific” odor at the high school following a pipe leak that prompted a recent flexible instruction day.
“...the smell is absolutely horrific,” Graham said, describing her children’s reports from inside the building.
District staff responded that maintenance contained the leak, closed the affected hallway and installed air scrubbers. In the meeting, a district representative summarized the response: “There was a leak and that was the reason for the virtual instruction day the other day. Maintenance has contained that leak. They have closed the hallway off. There are air scrubbers there. Understanding Department of Health has also verified that there is nothing there and there is no smell.”
A district speaker explained the cause as a failed gasketed joint in a pipe and said the shutdown and cleanup procedures were taken to protect students and staff. The transcript records the district saying the odor was present briefly when the pipe broke but that recent days have shown the smell is gone after remediation and the use of air scrubbers.
Separately in committee reports, district facilities staff reported other capital and maintenance work in progress: most unit ventilators had been repaired by contractor ABM; foundations for elementary-school flashers have been poured but are awaiting materials; the Founders Hall moisture remediation project is at substantial completion with a few punch-list items remaining; high school security vestibule upgrades are in the design phase with core architecture; security cameras were installed at the stadium; the Francis McClure door access control system was completed over the holiday break; and the auditorium lighting contract is under scope review by district staff.
Ending: District officials said they would continue to monitor the affected areas; the board did not take formal action on the incident during the meeting.
