Physician urges voters to back Wenatchee School District bond to replace aging high school, boost air filtration

Bindu Nayak, a local physician and parent, urged voters to support a proposed Wenatchee School District bond that would replace Wenatchee High School and upgrade heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems at seven additional schools to reduce wildfire-smoke infiltration and improve indoor air quality.

Nayak said regional health data show "Chelan County experiences some of the state's highest levels of wildfire smoke during active wildfire seasons," and that medical research indicates the small particles in that smoke "can cause breathing problems, especially for children." She said indoor monitoring at Wenatchee High School "confirmed that outdoor smoke was getting into classrooms." Nayak identified temporary emergency steps taken with the Chelan Douglas Health District and the use of portable air purifiers while longer-term fixes are planned.

The speaker said Wenatchee High School was built in 1972 and that many of its main building systems, including cooling and filtration, are now 54 years old. She said the district placed a long-term plan on the ballot that, if approved, would replace the high school facility and upgrade HVAC systems at seven other schools. Nayak described the proposed permanent upgrades as including modern insulation and "high quality air filtration" designed to keep wildfire smoke out and provide a healthier learning environment.

The bond measure is a proposed ballot item; Nayak did not report a vote or a final decision in the meeting. The district’s partnership with the Chelan Douglas Health District and the temporary deployment of portable purifiers are interim measures until any capital work funded by a bond could begin.