Middletown school district outlines multi‑year plan to meet new indoor‑air‑quality law
Summary
District facilities staff told the board the state’s expanded indoor‑air‑quality law requires repeated HVAC assessments and a district IAQ management program; district officials said inspections will be phased (20% of buildings per year) and estimated engineering assessments for Middletown’s buildings could cost $750,000–$1,000,000.
The Middletown Board of Education heard a detailed briefing on the state’s expanded indoor‑air‑quality (IAQ) requirements and the district’s plan to implement them.
Marco, the district’s facilities lead, told the board that the law requires school boards to provide an annual, uniform IAQ inspection program using EPA Tools for Schools and to assemble IAQ teams and management plans. “The Board of Education must provide an annual uniform inspection program for indoor air quality,” Marco said, explaining that districts may phase in full HVAC engineering assessments by inspecting at least 20% of buildings each year until all are evaluated.
The presentation said assessments must verify HVAC operation against technical standards, measure outside‑air delivery rates and filter efficiency, and produce written reports in a state standard form for public posting. Marco said the district has already used EPA Tools for Schools and a consultant, Langdon Corporation, to complete initial assessments and that the required reports were published to school and district websites.
District staff addressed cost and scheduling: Marco estimated the district’s full HVAC engineering assessments could range from about $750,000 to $1,000,000 and explained the proposed approach would spread evaluations over multiple years, beginning July 1, 2026. The district will also name an IAQ coordinator, create building‑level IAQ teams and expand staff training and recordkeeping; the presentation linked the new work‑order system upgrade to improved IAQ recordkeeping.
Board members pressed staff on mold testing and problem spots. Facilities staff and the district’s environmental reviewer said the most recent IAQ tests have come back negative or within acceptable thresholds; the superintendent and the environmental staff noted that where stains or suspicious tiles appear they investigate and test rather than assume mold. On one report item about a kitchen coil at Snow School, staff corrected the record, saying the unit had been recently replaced and the report entry was an error.
The board also discussed how IAQ work will intersect with capital needs such as roof replacements and HVAC repairs; Marco said the district will meet with the mayor and city staff about project sequencing and possible grant opportunities but cautioned that state grants are not guaranteed.
Next steps include finalizing an IAQ team and coordinator this semester, publishing an inspection schedule tied to the July 1, 2026 assessment start date, and continuing to use the upgraded work‑order system to track complaints, tests and remediation.
