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District to seek board approval for recurring air-quality and radon testing after recent reports; cost roughly $40,000 annually
Summary
Facilities staff proposed resuming radon testing (first round in about a decade) and continuing proactive air-quality monitoring; spot air-quality testing for half the district is about $18,000 and radon testing about $23,000 (half the district), totaling roughly $40,000; a formal vote is scheduled for the Sept. 22 board meeting.
District facilities staff told trustees the district has conducted proactive indoor-air monitoring since 2005 and is planning a renewed radon-testing cadence. Staff said previous testing is overdue and recommended resuming radon sampling this fall, starting with the district’s "B" buildings (primarily elementary schools), and moving to a three-year rotation thereafter.
The presentation described typical indoor-air parameters the district measures — temperature, relative humidity, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds and fungal spore traps — and explained testing will be focused on spaces in contact with the ground (slab-on-grade), per environmental recommendations. "The recommendation is anything in contact with the ground," a facilities presenter said, noting above-grade classrooms are less likely to require testing but slab-on-grade rooms should be checked.
Staff provided cost estimates for the program: spot air-quality testing for half the district around $18,000 and radon testing for half the district around $23,000, for an annual program cost near $40,000. Board members raised questions about necessity in above-ground classrooms and about where the testing expense will sit in the budget; staff said the item will come to the Sept. 22 board meeting for formal approval.
Staff also said the district will work directly with a radon-testing company to reduce fees versus using an intermediary and will publish results for transparency. The board discussed possible community outreach and how to signpost testing resources for homeowners as part of public education.
