Closure at Skyline High continues; bad smell evacuated students twice before
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IDAHO FALLS — The ongoing repair situation at Skyline High School in Idaho Falls School District 91 remains a concern for parents, students and educators.
The problem, apparently with the school’s air conditioning system, has shut the school down for three days this week, and it’s unclear when Skyline will open again.
An industrial hygienist from Marcom determined that air quality levels were improved and within recommended levels on Friday when the school’s AC system was turned off, according to a release from District 91. The release states that the AC system has been completely disabled, while the school’s air circulation system remains on. A follow-up air quality test will be conducted later on Friday.
School officials said in a text sent to parents that the smell stemmed from stagnant cooling water that had filled some heating loop pipes. This caused an odor to become apparent when the school’s AC system turned on, pushing it out.
A major impact of the closure was that the United Prom, originally planned for Skyline tonight, has been moved to Eagle Rock Middle School.
So, what happened at the school?
EastIdahoNews.com has reached out to District 91 and spoke with Maren Archibald, the district’s spokeswoman, about the maintenance work at Skyline.
She said a strong, unpleasant odor in the hallways and classrooms was first detected on April 8. The smell initially prompted an evacuation of students to the gymnasium, while a maintenance team was called in. The problem was determined to be within the AC system.
Archibald said a similar incident occurred on Tuesday involving a strong smell that prompted an evacuation. At this point, school officials opted to shut the school down, and the maintenance team decided to reach out to an industrial hygienist for additional expertise and assurance that families, staff and students have a safe learning environment.
“We want to make sure that our families and staff in the community are informed,” Archibald said. “The safety of the students and staff is always our first priority, and we want to make sure that we’re being extra cautious, cautious and keeping everybody safe.”
More details will be forthcoming. It’s unclear when the school will reopen.
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