Skyline High closure extended while district awaits safety clearance
Par Kermani
Idaho Falls, Idaho (KIFI)— Skyline High School remains shuttered on Friday as the Idaho Falls School District 91 awaits final safety certification following a cooling system failure that released foul odors and raised health concerns.
District 91 Awaits Safety Sign-Off
The closure has forced D91 to reschedule or relocate school events, including tonight’s United Prom, which has been moved to Eagle Rock Middle School.
According to D91 Superintendent Karla LaOrange, this morning, an industrial hygienist conducted a preliminary walkthrough of the building, which determined that air quality readings were within recommended levels while the air systems were disabled. During the closure, they replaced all air filters and turned on general ventilation; however, the air conditioning system remains completely disabled.
Superintendent LaOrange emphasized that the building will remain off-limits to students and stall until D91 receives a written certification that the building is safe.
“The safety and well-being of our students and staff is our top priority, and we are continuing to closely follow the recommendations of the hygienist as we move forward. We are grateful for their expertise and the work of the D91 Maintenance team,” said LaOrange.
Before the school’s water tank was drained and dried, samples of stagnant cooling water were collected for testing. The district expects those results by the end of next week. In the meantime, the administration is calculating lost instructional hours and working with staff to determine if the academic calendar must be adjusted.