James Emery, vice president and facilities chair of the Elizabethtown Area School District, told the board at its November meeting that the high school–middle school complex is at “end of life” and needs repair or replacement while staff manage recurring septic backups.

Emery said the district has completed two feasibility studies and “spent tens of thousands of dollars” studying options. He described recent professional air‑quality testing, including methane and mold screening, and said portable detectors carried by maintenance staff have not sounded an emergency alarm. “These tests were not done by board members. They were done by professionals,” Emery said.

Those findings did not satisfy several public commenters. Alicia Runkel said physicians have told her that people in the building have chronic conditions caused by environmental factors and warned that lower‑level contaminants can cause long‑term harm even if detectors do not reach emergency thresholds. Jim Safford, president of the local teachers’ association, said the district should accept an independent review from the U.S. Public Health Service if it is offered.

The district’s grounds manager, Mister Oliveira, told the board that many recent sewer backups are aggravated by objects flushed into cast‑iron pipes — including extra toilet paper and items that catch in the older lines — but that the piping itself is aged and “in dire need of replacement.” The board reiterated that the feasibility studies concluded the buildings are in need of extensive work but said staff were taking interim safety precautions.

Doctor Nell and facilities staff said the district has created an online information hub linking prior communications, inspection results and copies of the feasibility studies. Emery said the district will continue periodic professional testing and monitoring and will present options from the feasibility studies to the board for further action.

The board did not take a formal action tonight to close buildings or move students; Emery emphasized that if a building were judged unsafe the board “would deem people not to be in them.”