HCPSS recognizes the importance of providing a healthy learning environment for all students and staff members. In an effort to identify and correct conditions that may have an impact on air quality, HCPSS has established an Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) program that proactively maintains proper indoor environments and responds to community members' concerns.
The IEQ data provided below comes directly from the HCPSS IEQ site.
Complete the online IEQ Concern form to submit a concern about the indoor environmental quality of a HCPSS building or facility. The Office of the Environment addresses each concern by contacting the individual and performing an environmental assessment of the reported area.
| Date | Location | Concern | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|
|
September 12th, 2018
Tracking Number: CXXAES2018000040 |
Room 125 and 126 | The Office of the Environment identified relative humidity mold in Room 126 while onsite for another purpose. Note: The Office of the Environment has recently transitioned to a new Online IEQ platform (as of August 2018). The new platform does not allow the back-dating of IEQ concerns. This concern is inappropriately dated September 12, 2018. The concern should be dated August 14, 2018. | Yes |
|
June 7th, 2019
Tracking Number: CXXAES20190000E2 |
Portable 106 | When visiting for excellence night on 6/7 we noted a strong stale/mold smell in the 5th grade portable. | Yes |
|
September 2nd, 2020
Tracking Number: CXXAES202000017E |
Room 131 | During the roofing replacement project, a roof drain connection was not secured and a rain event allowed water to enter Room 131. | Yes |
|
November 5th, 2020
Tracking Number: CXXAES2020000194 |
Mechanical Room | The Office of the Environment was contacted on November 3, 2020 to respond to a water intrusion incident. The water incident occurred in relation to a fire that had started on the roof. The Howard County Fire Department responded to the fire. Water used to put out the fire entered the building through the mechanical room and subsequently impacted anscillary areas to include the Gym Office, Gym Storage, the Gym Hallway, and a nearby Custodial Closet. | Yes |
|
August 24th, 2021
Tracking Number: CXXAES20210001E0 |
Room 106 | School reported possible mold growth on carpet. | Yes |
A full listing of published concerns is available on this school's page on the HCPSS IEQ site.
The IEQ program includes system-wide scheduled and standardized walk-through reviews of each HCPSS school, conducted twice a year. The process is based off the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Indoor Air Quality recommendations for schools. One walkthrough is conducted by a school-based IEQ team of parents, staff, students, and community members, trained by the HCPSS Office of the Environment, to identify and report potential indoor environmental issues. The second walkthrough is performed by an HCPSS industrial hygienist, who assesses each school building, such as its mechanical equipment, areas above drop-ceilings, and the exterior.
All previously published IEQ concerns, reports from external contractors, and school walk-through reports for previous school years are archived on the IEQ Report Archive.
In compliance with state regulations, HCPSS is testing all schools for the presence of lead in drinking water. Details on the testing schedule, procedures, etc., as well as test results and reports for individual schools can be found on the HCPSS website.