HARTFORD – Some Hartford Area Career and Technical Center student programs will be held at new locations this fall as efforts to clean up contamination from so-called “forever chemicals” are expected to continue throughout the school year.

Testing in April found elevated levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in some areas of the high school and career and technical center buildings.

PCBs are man-made chemicals found in older building materials such as caulk, paint and light fixtures. Their use was banned by the Environmental Protection Agency in 1980. As materials containing PCBs break down, the chemicals are released and can be inhaled as vapor or dust. This exposure can cause cancer and other serious health problems, according to the Vermont Department of Health.

The highest levels of contamination in Hartford school buildings were found in and around the Getaway restaurant, operated by the culinary arts program. Immediate action is needed in these spaces, including air filtration systems. Four classrooms have been placed on full lockdown and their programs have been relocated.

The contamination sites pose a logistical puzzle for Erika Schneider, director of the Hartford Area Career and Technical Center. The center serves about 350 students in half-day career preparation programs.

“Relocating specialized classrooms is a challenge,” Schneider said on Tuesday.

The entire culinary arts program will be temporarily housed at the Cornerstone Community Center in Hartford Village, where it will be able to utilize a fully equipped commercial kitchen and dining area comparable to the regular facilities, Schneider said. The new location may even have some benefits, she added, noting that with the new location, “more community members may come.”

Health science classrooms are modeled after work environments and are equipped with doctor’s office equipment, mannequins and hospital beds to teach patient care techniques and medical terminology.

The necessary relocation of these areas “means that we have somewhat more limited space during the school day,” said Schneider.

Due to these restrictions, some adult education offerings will be moved to after school.

No immediate action is required at the high school premises because the extent of contamination was less severe, but the district will adopt a remediation plan to remove the contamination as information about the sources becomes available.

“We have a little bit of flexibility and time for planning in the high school,” Director of Buildings and Grounds Jonathan Garthwaite said by phone Tuesday.

The state will continue to collect air and bulk samples and then make recommendations to the district, he said.

In 2021, Vermont became the first state to require testing of schools for PCB contamination when lawmakers passed Act 74, which required testing for buildings built before 1980.

About a third of the more than 300 buildings to which the requirement applies have been tested.

Tests at Burlington High School in 2020 found PCB levels so high that the district decided to close the school entirely and build a new one.

Hartford Memorial Middle School was tested in November 2023 and found no PCB contamination that would warrant action.

A test is planned for White River School in 2025.

There is no testing requirement at other schools in the district.

“It’s a lot right now,” Garthwaite said of Hartford. “As we deal with these (PCB) issues, we continue to make progress with facility improvements.”

In April, voters approved a $21 million bond for construction and land work. The work will upgrade the fire alarm and sprinkler systems and undertake some major infrastructure projects, including roofing the career and technical center and the high school and replacing the chimney at the middle school.

These projects will not be affected by the PCB remediation. In some cases, the work could be combined to be “holistic and efficient,” Garthwaite said.

“If we need to do a PCB remediation that requires opening a ceiling, we can run a sprinkler line while it’s open,” Garthwaite said.

Garthwaite expects PCB-related work to continue into next summer.

“Currently, the state is paying for all testing, sampling and preliminary remediation methods that are being conducted,” Garthwaite said.

“I really, really hope it continues like this,” he added.

Detailed information about contamination levels in each room tested and general information about PCBs was sent to students, staff and parents on June 7 and can be found in the June 12 School Board meeting documents online at: https://tinyurl.com/2cgh4q8h.

Christina Dolan can be reached at [email protected] or 603-727-3 208.