Eric Pavolos, a parent of two East High graduates, told the Salt Lake City School District board on Dec. 2 that he and neighbors discovered a multi‑agency meeting in October describing a tetrachloroethylene (PCE) contamination plume beneath East High and nearby district property. Pavolos said federal and state environmental and health agencies, the VA and other entities attended the October meeting, and he said the district had not been present at those coordination meetings based on meeting minutes.

Pavolos told the board he was surprised by the absence of district participation and urged transparency and active engagement from district facilities staff. He said the federal reporting he reviewed indicated two locations inside East High — the workshop area and the elevator — had PCE levels that exceeded federal standards, and he told board members the published remediation estimate for the site ranged from roughly $30 million to $60 million.

District staff have previously sent a parent communication stating that the district was working with state and federal agencies and that "there is no evidence of immediate risk to students at East High." At the meeting both Pavolos and staff cited a federal report, which Pavolos said concluded that the agencies could not determine whether East High is safe or unsafe without additional data. Pavolos urged the board to be more present in interagency meetings and to install monitoring where remediation activity may be needed, including at the stadium and parking areas identified as likely locations for remediation work.

The board acknowledged the concern and staff said they would follow up; the superintendent's office also noted the district’s ability to coordinate with state and federal partners and to provide clarification to families. The transcript records the parent's plea and the district's commitment to continue communication and follow‑up investigations; the meeting did not record a formal vote on the matter.

What’s next: District staff said they would follow up with officials and report back to the board. Any technical assessments, monitoring results or remediation plans will be driven by environmental agencies and subject to their procedures and funding processes.