Industrial Hygienist to Examine Portables

Santa Barbara School District officials were able to broker a compromise this week with the Parents for Excellence in Public Schools advocacy group as to who exactly will conduct a formal investigation into long-running air quality concerns about the portable classrooms at Washington Elementary School. At odds in recent weeks over which expert should be hired to get to the bottom of the complaints over potential air quality and mold issues at the school, the School Board voted unanimously this week to solicit a service agreement from certified industrial hygienist Mark Katchen. Pending final approval of a contract, the hope is that Katchen can begin testing later this month.