AHWATUKEE, AZ — An Ahwatukee elementary school is closed through at least fall break.
District leaders announced Sunday that Kyrene de la Sierra Elementary School near Loop 202 and Desert Foothills Parkway would close for roof construction on the building.
Students will learn remotely starting Monday through the rest of the week. The building closure will last through at least fall break.
Kyrene School District leaders announced Monday that most students at the school will begin attending class at the Cerritos/Altadeña campus starting August 11.
The only exception would be preschoolers. They will be relocated to Kyrene de la Esperanza.
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On Tuesday, frustrated parents let their voices be heard at the Kyrene school board meeting.
“This is not theoretical, this is not hypothetical, this is real exposure,” said Courtney, a mother of a student.
“These are chemicals with serious health warnings including neurological damage, respiratory distress, organ toxicity, dizziness, nausea, nose bleeds and more,” said Ryan, another parent.
District leaders responded to those parents, saying they are putting safety first.
“We immediately made the call that it would not be safe until we have the full results to take the chance of putting families and/or students and staff back in the building,” said Laura Toenjes, the district superintendent.
“Moving forward, making air testing part of our standard operating procedure just seems like a baseline for me,” said Trine Nelson, the board vice president.
District leaders sent out the following letter to families on Sunday:
Dear Sierra Community,
The health and safety of our students and staff is our highest priority. Out of an abundance of caution, we have made the difficult decision to temporarily close the Kyrene de la Sierra campus during this phase of roof construction, through fall break.
Students will learn remotely, beginning tomorrow, August 4, and for the rest of the week, while we work to establish alternate campuses for in-person attendance.
Multiple air quality tests conducted over the weekend inside the school indicated elevated particulate levels. This does not mean the particulates are harmful or even that the levels are harmful. However, official results of the air quality tests will take 5-7 days, and we will not take any risks with staff and student health.
Students will not return to Sierra until after fall break, even if the official test results are within normal ranges. This will allow us to expedite roof construction so the portion of the work involving asphalt and off-gassing would be complete by October, when students return to campus.
We are finalizing logistics now and will be sending families detailed information this week, including location, transportation, Kids Club, and what to expect during the relocation period. Thank you for your patience while we work on those details.
A few important notes for families:
Students will be accessing curriculum and assignments virtually this week.
Students will not be marked absent if they are unable to attend virtually.
Support is available for students in need of technology at home. More information will be coming tomorrow from the school or from teachers.
Transportation will still be provided tomorrow in the event that families miss this message. Students will be supervised until we can contact a parent or guardian for pickup.
Mitigation Efforts:
As we shared on Friday, we have been assured that the chemicals and materials used in our roof installation are safe, but due to the elevated particulate levels in the air, Kyrene is taking the following steps to mitigate any potential risk:
Air intakes will be sealed to prevent fumes from entering the building.
The filters in all air intakes and HVAC systems will be replaced.
Air scrubbers are being placed around campus to remove any particulates from the air. (This is in addition to the individual HEPA filtration units in every classroom.)
Air quality will be tested repeatedly before students and staff return to campus.
When students return to campus, any remaining construction work will be conducted outside of school and Kids Club hours.
We know how deeply disruptive a change like this can be to family schedules, and we truly appreciate your understanding as we prioritize safety, uninterrupted instruction and expedited completion of this critical improvement to our campus.
Sincerely,
Kyrene Emergency Management Team
