Air-quality monitors deployed near Huzzy School after recycling-plant fire; district may decide on school opening based on monitoring

Board members were briefed on an ongoing environmental and operational concern after nearby fires at an iron/metal recycling plant prompted the Maine Department of Environmental Protection to install air‑quality monitors in the area surrounding Huzzy School and Blackberry Hill Road.

The superintendent said the DEP requested the monitors and that the district is monitoring air quality and the way emissions could move with changing wind conditions. The principal (Tina Harding) sent an email to parents earlier in the evening indicating the district was monitoring conditions and would update families if a decision needed to be made about school the next day. The superintendent said a decision about whether to open school would depend on overnight wind shifts and the monitoring data.

Board members also raised an existing water‑supply issue in Burwick that can intermittently render tap water brown and noted that recent events have triggered local water‑use restrictions. District staff described contingency plans (bottled‑water donations and parent pickup of student belongings) if drinking water or other operational needs cannot be safely met. Members stressed that safety would guide any decision to delay or cancel school and that tomorrow’s final call would follow monitoring results.

What happens next: The district will review air‑quality monitor data and water‑system updates overnight, communicate with parents as needed, and decide on school opening based on safety assessments.