Continental Analytics presented the results of December spot checks across Elizabethtown Area School District buildings at the Jan. 13 workshop, reporting a small number of readings that warrant follow-up rather than immediate alarm.

Rick Rausch of Continental Analytics told the board that three sampling locations (two in the middle school and one in Bear Creek) recorded carbon-dioxide concentrations slightly higher than the ASHRAE comfort reference of 1,100 parts per million, but “they weren't much higher than 1,100,” and were well below the OSHA threshold of 2,500 ppm. Rausch recommended adding more makeup air to the affected rooms and deploying multi-day CO2 loggers to detect trends and differentiate occasional spikes from persistent ventilation shortfalls.

On mold testing, Rausch said two samples taken in an unoccupied tunnel beneath the high school exceeded what he would expect to find inside normally occupied spaces; the area contained desks and stored materials with visible growth. Because the tunnel is not used by students, his primary recommendation was to remove or thoroughly clean stored items, investigate leaks or moisture sources, and consider installing simple venting or a low-cost fresh-air vent system similar to radon mitigation to establish airflow and keep spores from migrating.

District staff and board members said remediation steps are already underway for moisture issues and that facilities staff will coordinate with the testing firm to deploy monitors and address the tunnel findings. Rausch also offered to provide CO2 monitors that can record readings every five minutes for up to five days at no additional charge to confirm whether elevated readings are persistent.

Why it matters: Elevated CO2 can indicate inadequate ventilation and contribute to drowsiness or discomfort; mold in storage or maintenance spaces presents an allergen risk to staff and could indicate moisture intrusion that should be fixed to protect infrastructure and health.