Allegheny County

Elizabeth Forward High School teachers say students, staff getting sick after return to building

ELIZABETH TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A massive fire tore through part of Elizabeth Forward High School in February. It destroyed the auditorium, music wing and more.

PHOTOS: Fire burns through roof at Elizabeth Forward High School

After two months of remote learning, teachers and students returned to the building earlier this month, and now, teachers tell Channel 11 that people keep getting sick.

“A whole lot of health problems from our staff and students since we’ve been back,” ninth-grade teacher and union vice president Justin Plansinis said. “The district has done testing and we don’t dispute the tests they’ve done so far have been accurate, but what we’re concerned about is that people are still feeling unwell, so whatever is doing that is not coming through on their tests.”

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Part of Elizabeth Forward auditorium to be razed in controlled demolition after fire, officials say

It’s unclear what’s causing the illnesses, but Plansinis thinks it has something to do with cleaning products and a lack of ventilation.

He tells Channel 11 that teachers sent a letter to the school board last week and received a reply reiterating that testing has come back clean. He says the right thing to do would be to shut back down temporarily.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Elizabeth Forward High School students set to return in April

“We definitely realize the best thing for the kids and everyone is to be in-person, but not at the expense of health and safety,” he said.

Channel 11 reached out to district officials, and received the following response:

“On April 11, 2023, the Elizabeth Forward High School reopened to in-person instruction. This reopening was the culmination of a months-long intensive remediation effort to return the building to a safe learning environment.

“Safety is the School District’s top priority. The district employed experts from Interek PSI testing to perform rigorous indoor air testing. The district charged Intertek to run any and all necessary tests to ensure a safe environment for our students and staff.

“The results of this testing have consistently shown that the air quality at the high school meets all safety standards. In fact, these results were also shared with industrial hygienist, Protect All Solutions, which the Elizabeth Forward Education Association (the teacher’s union) chose. Protect All Solutions confirmed the air quality results were indeed safe.

“These air testing reports are posted on the district’s website and are continually updated here. Additionally, the high school water quality levels were also tested and determined to be safe. The Allegheny Health Department and Elizabeth Township also approved the district reopening the high school.

“It’s also important to note, that an overwhelming majority of our high school community are happy to be back to in-person learning after nearly two months of remote instruction. We are looking forward to finishing out the school year and celebrating the class of 2023, who has had many disruptions to their four years in high school.

“To be clear, throughout this difficult time, the district has worked with experts and has done everything possible to ensure the building was reopened under safe conditions. In addition, the district has been transparent with the staff and the community on all aspects of the ongoing restoration. This will continue as we face a long road ahead in rebuilding our high school into something better. But this will take time, patience, and partnership.”

The school board meets next in mid-May.

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