Asbestos test results expected Monday

SANDPOINT — Results of asbestos tests of insulation at Sandpoint Middle School are expected to be completed Monday, Lake Pend Oreille School District officials said Friday.

"If the building is deemed safe and cleared for occupancy, normal class schedules will resume Tuesday, Feb. 20," LPOSD Superintendent Dr. Becky W. Meyer said.

If a definitive conclusion is not provided in the report, Meyer said SMS students will continue holding classes at the high school. If that happens, Meyer said the school board will hold a special board meeting Wednesday, Feb. 12 to review and discuss the report.

As soon as the lab results are in, Meyer said she would advise the community.

"Thank you for your continued patience as we keep student safety our #1 priority," Meyer wrote in a social media post on Friday.

The potential discovery of asbestos came after crews attempted to fix a broken water main above a hallway ceiling at the middle school. When crews went to fix the leak, they discovered "wet, very old insulation above the light fixture," Meyer said previously. "Before the leak, the insulation was enclosed and undisturbed.

The insulation discovered during the repairs was from an era when asbestos was used. District officials notified parents and shifted schedules for students at both the middle school and the high school.

Wednesday was transferred to a remote learning day for middle school students while SHS students attended school in person. Thursday, high school students attended remote while SMS students attended school in person at the high school.

Students were off Friday on a planned "no school" day.

The middle school was previously abated for asbestos, district officials said. But, after the leak and discovery of the wet insulation, that side of the school was immediately sealed off out of an abundance of caution, Meyer said.