September 19, 2025
Dear Eldred Central School District Community,
The purpose of this letter is to update you on a recent air quality and material testing project at the Eldred Junior-Senior High School. Our top priority is, and always will be, the health and safety of our students and staff.
On September 11, 2025, the district requested that Gary Bowers, the SCBOCES Assistant Health & Safety Coordinator, collect material samples from three different offices for analysis. None of these offices are dedicated student areas. These samples were then sent to a New York State Department of Health Environmental Laboratory Approval Program (NYSDOH ELAP) certified lab. The results showed that all three areas were negative for asbestos. However, two of the offices tested positive for vermiculite.
Under New York State regulations, all loose-fill vermiculite is classified as a "suspect miscellaneous asbestos-containing material" due to the historical prevalence of asbestos in some vermiculite deposits. It is important to note that vermiculite itself is not asbestos. The district took immediate action. The staff in the impacted offices were relocated, and the district will follow all state-mandated protocols to have these areas removed, cleaned, and remediated.
Additionally, on September 12, 2025, air quality testing was started in the main office at the Eldred Junior-Senior High School in response to a concern regarding the air quality. The air quality test lasted for 72 hours, and the results showed elevated levels of carbon dioxide when the office is fully staffed during the school day. While the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) guidelines recommend carbon dioxide levels be below 1000 ppm (parts per million), our main office measured 1200 ppm at the height of the school day. This is well below the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations, which require carbon dioxide levels to be below 5000 ppm. The report's recommendation is to increase the amount of fresh air in the main office. The district is currently in the process of implementing the report's recommendations to improve the air quality in this space.
Our #1 priority is the health and safety of our students and staff. The board and I are confident that we will be successful in mitigating these areas quickly. Before people are moved back, retesting will take place in order to ensure the health and safety of everyone in this building.
Sincerely,
Traci Ferreira, Superintendent of Schools