Tomorrow, we will be returning to in-person instruction because we have been assured by fire and police officials from both Jenkintown and Abington, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that it is safe to do so. However, we understand that this incident has caused angst for many of our families, several of whom evacuated out of town and out of state. Therefore, we will be offering a virtual option to students for tomorrow, Friday, February 21st, Monday, February 24th, and Tuesday, February 25th, to allow families who evacuated from the Borough to return home. We are offering this option to accommodate the needs of our students; however, there is no substitution for in-person instruction. Therefore, we encourage all students to attend in-person if possible. All students will be expected to be present in school on Wednesday, February 26th.
Our custodial and maintenance staff were on site today to thoroughly clean our buildings, and meet with officials who were monitoring and testing the air quality on our campus. They also did air testing inside the building, looking for particulates and other related substances. All tests came back within safe, normal ranges. Additionally, our maintenance staff replaced filters in our univents and air purifiers (that were purchased and operating since COVID). Replacement filters for our HVAC air handlers are on order and are scheduled to be replaced on Monday.
As we prepare to reopen our school building tomorrow, I want to provide some additional information about the SPS recovery efforts.
This morning, I had an opportunity to meet directly with DEP representatives and numerous other local municipal and safety officials to continue to ask questions and gather information. I very much appreciate them accommodating our request to meet and the chance to attend today’s press briefing, in Abington, which provided an update on this issue.
In the meeting, I shared that our families, staff, residents, and School Board members have many questions and concerns. The response team, including Jenkintown Police Chief Tom Scott, appreciates and understands the apprehension and fear this incident has caused and is eager to respond and provide us with information.
Here are some key points that were discussed:
Water Quality Concerns: Multiple sources have assured us that the Jenkintown School District’s water source is a municipal source fed by the Neshaminy Creek and has not been impacted by this incident. Municipal water is tested consistently and will continue as scheduled. Other water sources around the site have also been reported as clear and safe to drink.
Air Quality Concerns: The DEP assured us that EPA air quality monitoring on our site tested within normal limits and presents NO health concerns.
- DEP shared that when an environmental issue such as this occurs, corporations almost always hire professional independent monitoring companies to continue long-term air quality monitoring. In this instance, SPS has contracted with an independent monitoring agency, which will continue to share results with EPA and DEP.
- We have requested testing results and expect to have them by this evening, or tomorrow at the latest. These results will be posted on our website as soon as they are obtained. However, we have been informed that all testing is within normal limits and that it is safe for students and staff to return to school tomorrow.
- Monitoring devices will remain on our school grounds to assess exterior air for the foreseeable future, and those results will continue to be reported to EPA and DEP.
- DEP has set up a website where you can obtain some updates, and we will continue to coordinate and communicate with DEP. Their local community representative strongly expressed a desire to ensure residents have access to information and updates as soon as they are publicly available, reinforcing a commitment to safety.
- DEP also recommended another site, https://www.airnow.gov, for air quality updates. This site has been running before the SPS incident and is regularly updated.
Debris Concerns from the Explosion/Fire: Safety officials and investigators ask that residents call 911 to report debris that is on their property rather than removing it themselves. They stressed that while some may feel hesitant to do this, it is the best way for them to catalog addresses and ensure debris is safely removed and tracked for investigative purposes (as they work to determine the force of the explosion, etc.). They suggest that residents may use protective gear to move debris off cars, etc., but not to dispose of any large debris. Safety officials are removing debris from our school grounds as well.
Concerns about the SPS site and ongoing fire and hazards: Crews are working to extinguish a few remaining ‘hot spots’ and are working with structural engineers and other experts to remove all chemicals from the facility. During the press conference, officials stressed that they are confident they can do so safely and without risk to the community.
Other sources of information and updates:
Abington Township has been established as a local clearinghouse for information and updates, and their website includes press releases, videos from press conferences, and other information.
You can also reach out to SPS at their community hotline at: 215-572-3326 and by email at: contactsps@pccairframe.com.
We are incredibly grateful to our first responders and to all of the safety officials who have supported the recovery efforts. I am particularly grateful to our Jenkintown police and fire officials, who have been in constant contact with me and have worked around the clock to ensure our building, staff, and students will be safe. If anyone has additional questions, Chief Scott will attend our Board Meeting on Monday at 7:00 PM in our MS/HS Media Center.
We know tomorrow’s return to school may be challenging for some, but we are determined to get through this together. If your family is in need of anything, please feel free to reach out to us.
Jenkintown School Air Monitoring Report—Please note that the air monitoring results conducted by CTEH should have referenced the School District of Jenkintown rather than just Jenkintown Middle/High School. Testing was conducted in all areas of the District, not solely at the Middle/High School.
This was a simple oversight by the CTEH team, as they initially believed the campus only consisted of the high school. We appreciate your understanding and apologize for any confusion this may have caused.
Thank you for your support.
Sincerely,
Dr. Jill Takacs, Superintendent
