by Daniel Duric, Newport Dispatch

Tents aren’t just a thing for homeless people anymore. Now, a high school will hold classes in six tents due to an ongoing PCB contamination.

North Country Union High School (NCUHS) will delay its opening and implement significant changes to its campus layout – including holding classes in tents – due to ongoing polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) mitigation efforts, following a decision by the school board on August 20.

The new school year will now begin on Tuesday, September 3, for 9th graders, with all other students, including those at North Country Career Center (NCCC), starting on Wednesday, September 4. This delay comes in response to the discovery of elevated PCB levels in the school’s B Wing, which houses the main academic classrooms.

PCBs, chemical compounds banned in the United States since 1979 due to their harmful environmental and health effects, were widely used in building materials and electrical equipment before the ban. The initial mitigation project, focused on C Wing and estimated at $3 million, has now expanded to include B Wing, raising the total cost to $5.9 million. This figure is expected to increase further with additional measures being implemented.

Elaine Collins, Superintendent of North Country Supervisory Union (NCSU), addressed the situation.

“The initial draft results from B Wing were disappointing and fell short of our hopes. However, hope alone isn’t a strategy.” Collins emphasized that remote instruction or an indefinite delay were never considered options, acknowledging the potential detriment to both students and teachers.

To accommodate students, the school plans to erect six function tents on campus to serve as temporary classrooms. If PCB levels do not reach acceptable levels in future tests, classes may need to be moved to longer-term modular classrooms before winter. The school is also repurposing several spaces on and near campus as classrooms.

NCUHS Principal Chris Young detailed the extensive preparations underway.

“Since receiving the latest test results on Tuesday, August 20, NCUHS has been working tirelessly to create new learning spaces for our students.” This effort involves coordination with local first responders, state agencies, contractors, and both NCUHS and NCSU staff. The to-do list includes securing heaters, Wi-Fi, fire alarms, extinguishers, evacuation and safety plans, furniture, technology, and communication systems.

The NCCC Land Lab, built in 2004-2005, is not affected by the PCB concerns. However, the NCCC main campus in C Wing has undergone air quality testing, with preliminary results indicating successful mitigation in most rooms. Some high-testing rooms are likely to be mitigated and re-tested soon.

The costs of the project are initially covered by North Country Supervisory Union and then reimbursed in full by the State of Vermont. Vermont has allocated tens of millions of dollars for PCB testing, mitigation, and abatement in schools statewide, with most funds already spent or committed.

To keep the community informed, NCUHS will host an Open House on Thursday, August 29, at 5:30 p.m. This event will allow interested parties to view the new, hopefully short-term, campus configuration.

Despite the challenges, Young remains optimistic.

“Given the amount of collaboration and creativity from our staff thus far, we are going to have a great opening!”

The school administration acknowledges the anxiety and stress this situation has caused for students, families, teachers, and staff, and assures that everyone involved is doing their utmost to minimize disruption in this less-than-ideal situation.