AMHERST — Last year, Liz Elder bought an inhaler for the first time.
The fifth-grade teacher has worked at Wildwood Elementary School for two decades. Since last year, she has experienced a few instances of asthma symptoms in the school, she said. Several of her colleagues have developed chronic bronchial issues, she said, and some transferred out of the school because of issues including allergic reactions.
“I had headaches for a long time,” Elder said. “It’s hard for anyone to think straight when there’s poor air quality.”
In response to concerns from multiple staff members about air quality, the Amherst-Pelham Education Association — the union that represents paraeducators, teachers and secretaries — commissioned a report on Wildwood’s air quality, according to Jean Fay, president of the Amherst-Pelham Education Association and a special education paraeducator at Crocker Farm Elementary School.
The report, completed by Michael Sireci, a consultant for the Massachusetts Teachers Association with a master of science in work environment and experience in asbestos and mold inspection, analyzed air quality in the school in November. The report was finalized in late January.
Part of the report surveyed people working in the building about the indoor air quality and found that, of the 90 percent of the building occupants that completed the survey, 36 percent of them experienced asthma symptoms on at least a weekly basis. Across Massachusetts, roughly 10 percent of adults have asthma, according to 2015 state data.
Another issue the report identified was with carbon dioxide — 33 of the 45 rooms measured had higher levels of carbon dioxide than the state-recommended levels. According to the state department of health, levels above the threshold mean there could be ventilation issues.
The report also found some minor mold contamination. Temperature levels were mostly within state guidelines and humidity levels were within EPA recommendations, though employees complained of temperature fluctuation in a survey included in the analysis, the report said.
“I am worried about the students,” Fay said. “Our working conditions are their learning conditions.”
“It’s not a new problem — it’s something we’ve been working on,” said Rupert Roy-Clark, the district’s facilities and custodial supervisor.
“The new report that the teachers union commissioned with Michael Sireci confirmed some of what we already knew and gave us some new information to respond to,” he added.
The school district commissioned an indoor air quality report, from Springfield environmental consulting firm ATC Group Services, which was conducted last school year and sent to the school in July. It found that two classrooms had carbon dioxide levels higher than is acceptable.
That analysis, which is included in the recent 158-page report, found acceptable levels of asbestos, mold, radon and microscopic particulate matter.
Since the district-commissioned report last summer, Roy-Clark said that the district has made some changes, such as cleaning the ventilation system over the summer and incorporating additional treatments, such as anti-fungal ones, in their regular cleanings.
Still, Roy-Clark said, “I don’t want to make excuses … We are concerned and we are trying to improve the situation here.”
Fay said that the district and school committee have been responsive and that the issue is not the custodians. “They’re doing the best they can with the resources they have,” she said.
Old carpeting, a leaking roof and a “fairly antiquated” ventilation system are some of the issues, Roy-Clark said.
This isn’t the first time teachers and staff at Wildwood have made their concerns public. A 2016 Amherst Bulletin column — written by Kristen Roeder, who was teaching sixth grade at the time, and signed by 47 other Wildwood staff members — said some staff had developed health issues, such as headaches and asthma, and they worried the building could be to blame.
“For decades many inside Wildwood have struggled with unusually high levels of breathing-related health issues; our personal experiences strongly suggest these issues are being caused by the poor air quality, uneven temperature regulation and lack of sunlight in our building,” the column reads.
Amherst-Pelham Education Association union members met with Superintendent Michael Morris and Roy-Clark to talk about the steps that already have been taken to address air quality issues and how to fix remaining ones. Another meeting will be held with Sireci, according to Morris.
Elder, the fifth-grade teacher, feels encouraged by Roy-Clark’s handling of the report. “He wants to work with us and do something,” she said. “What can be done remains to be seen.”
Greta Jochem can be reached at gjochem@gazettenet.com