Letter to OHS Families from OHS Principal, Jason Curtis:
Dear Students, Staff, and Families,
Thank you for your support and cooperation during today’s evacuation. To ensure the safety of our OASD students, staff, and families, we are cancelling all activities, athletics, and music performances at Oconomowoc High School (OHS) and the Oconomowoc Arts Center (OAC) tonight.
In addition to the air quality tests that were performed by emergency response personnel today, we will be testing the air quality of the building for the next 24 hours. As a result, Oconomowoc High School will remain closed on Friday, March 23. Pending safe results on the air quality testing tomorrow, we are planning to re-open the building tomorrow afternoon to allow students and staff to reclaim their personal belongings. Please review the process for reclaiming your materials and the adjustments to the OHS operations calendar, outlined below:
- School will be cancelled for staff and students at OHS on Friday, March 23.
- All staff are asked to report to the OHS Cafeteria at 2:00 p.m. Staff are asked to enter through the loading dock.
- The school will be open on Friday, March 23, from 3:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. for students to go into the building and reclaim their belongings. Staff members will supervise classrooms, locker rooms, and other areas.
- School events and practices at OHS will be allowed to occur after 4:00 p.m. on Friday.
- The Club Picture day on Friday will be rescheduled for a later date.
- Prom ticket sales and guest request forms will be accepted through noon on Wednesday, March 28.
- The last day of term 3 will now be on Wednesday, March 28. With term four beginning after Spring Break on Monday, April 9.
- Teachers will be asked to finalize grades by 12:00 p.m. on Friday, April 13. We anticipate publishing term 3 report cards later that afternoon.
- The 2018-2019 master schedule will be released by Tuesday, April 10, 2018. Our Student Services Team will communicate any changes to the scheduling timeline.
Testing at OHS to ensure air quality is safe for staff and students:
When students were evacuated from the building, Western Lakes Fire District tested the OAC and OHS for Carbon Monoxide (CO), and there was no CO detected. The Waukesha Hazmat Unit was then called to evaluate whether there were any dangerous or foreign substances in the air. Nothing was found. However, among those treated at area hospitals, we have been informed that several individuals were found to have high levels of Carbon Monoxide (CO) and are continuing to be monitored.
Environmental Management Consulting, Inc. (EMC) is placing air quality monitoring units in the OAC and OHS classrooms/hallways on the northern end of the building to monitor for CO, TVOC (Total Volatile Organic Compounds), Carbon Dioxide, and Temperature and Relative Humidity. EMC has placed a second monitoring unit to test for CO, Oxygen Level, Hydrogen Sulfide, and Air to Vapor Mixtures. Additional equipment that can test for thousands of chemicals will be put into place tomorrow as well. Finally, there will be a telemetry unit relaying data to EMC officials, sending an alert immediately if there is any change air safety. Air monitoring will continue through the weekend.
Evening and weekend activities at OHS and the OAC:
Activities, athletics, and music performances will resume at OHS and the OAC at 4:00 p.m. on Friday, March 23, pending safe air quality results.
Determination of safe air quality:
District Administration, in consultation with EMC, will make a determination of whether it’s safe for staff and students to re-enter the building tomorrow. In the event that air quality results are unsafe, we will cancel these plans and share that information via, email and voicemail, and will post a notification on www.oasd.org , and social media.
We will continue to share more information as it becomes available. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Thank you,
Jason Curtis
Principal