Air Quality Issues in Maine School District Linked to Student Illness

Concerns are growing in the Poland school district as parents say poor ventilation inside school buildings may be making their children sick. Several families say the problem, first raised back in January, hasn’t improved, and in some cases, symptoms are getting worse.

WGME is reporting that Amber Lyman is seeing  issues with her 13-year-old son, Scott, who attends the middle school. She says he feels fine at home, but regularly gets sick at school, even tracking conditions with his own CO2 monitor.

“He’s getting bloody noses almost every day, headaches… and the nurse says his blood pressure is sky high,” Lyman said.

According to WGME, mechanical engineers point to aging boilers and outdated ventilation systems as the likely cause. Testing conducted last year found carbon dioxide levels in all five RSU 16 schools were two to three times higher than what experts consider safe for extended exposure.

Health officials warn that elevated CO2 levels can lead to symptoms like headaches, dizziness, shortness of breath, and in extreme cases, seizures. District leaders have acknowledged the issue but say levels are still below what the CDC considers immediately dangerous over an eight-hour period.

Even so, officials admit upgrades are needed. The district has ordered more than 250 CO2 monitors, but so far, only one school, Minot Consolidated, has been fully equipped. More than half of the devices are still on backorder.

Ultimately, school leaders say the real fix would be a full HVAC overhaul, but funding remains a major obstacle.