ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Allentown School District says it’s monitoring environmental conditions at Allen High School after water from its pool facilities leaked into the track and weight room below.
The district addressed those ongoing issues in a Monday statement sent to the Allen learning community after an image circulated online that showed puddles of water in a blocked-off hallway and what appears to be unsanitary conditions.
The image was posted in a Facebook group dedicated to ASD issues by a user identified as "Patrick Reynolds," who says online that they are using an alias because they are employed by the school district.
The photo depicts athletic facilities below Allen’s pool. It received more than 550 reactions and was shared more than 250 times.
Other posts in the Facebook group raised concerns about the scene depicted in the image.
In a statement issued Monday, the school district's Chief Operations Officer Robert Whartenby said the district is aware of “social media posts referencing the alleged mold” beneath Allen’s pool.
“We appreciate the community’s concern and want to assure the public that we have been proactive and transparent in our assessment,” he said.
“We appreciate the community’s concern and want to assure the public that we have been proactive and transparent in our assessment."Robert Whartenby, ASD's Chief Operations Officer
Indoor air quality tests conducted on Sept. 30 by Element Environmental show “there is no immediate health hazard, and the natatorium is safe to occupy,” Whartenby said.
Allen’s pool was built around 1970, and the natatorium has been a focus area of ASD’s for more than 20 years, Whartenby said.
ASD completed multiple repair projects on the pool since 2007 to “provide temporary relief,” but “ongoing water infiltration has continued to affect lower-level spaces,” he said.
Monitoring of environmental conditions
As a result, the school track’s access has been restricted for years, and Allen recently restricted access to its weight room, too.
ASD has been working with multiple engineering and environmental firms to assess safety in Allen’s athletic areas and to gauge the feasibility of future renovations or repairs to the pool facility.
In August, ASD received an updated study with options for modernizing the pool and addressing structural and mechanical concerns.
Any proposed updates to athletic facilities will be reviewed by the school board's athletics committee.
“We will continue to monitor environmental conditions and conduct quarterly air quality tests, as we work to maintain healthy learning environments across all of our schools,” Whartenby said.
Just before the start of the school year, the district found mold spores in classrooms at Muhlenberg, Ritter and Sheridan elementary schools.
That mold has since been remediated at all three schools, a district spokesperson confirmed Tuesday.
Muhlenberg’s impacted classrooms were safe for use by the first day of school, and Sheridan’s by the end of the first week. Ritter’s impacted classrooms were safe for use by Sept. 22.
