Delayed School Opening Possible In Greenwich For Thursday

GREENWICH, CT — In an emailed letter to staff and families on Wednesday evening, Superintendent of Greenwich Public Schools Dr. Toni Jones said the district and health officials will continue to monitor the air quality in town throughout the night and into the early morning hours, as smoke from Canadian wildfires continues to impact the Northeast.

Parents will be notified by 5 a.m. Thursday if the district decides to operate under a delayed opening due to possible smoky conditions at school buildings, especially in older schools which lack centralized air and ventilation, Jones said.

"Today, we found that buildings with decade-old windows allowed more infiltration of a smoky odor," Jones added. "There is anticipation of another very heavy wave for the first few hours of the early morning. However, this could change throughout the evening."

On Wednesday, the most severe day for air quality thus far as a result of the fires north of the border, all windows were shut and air conditioning systems were closely monitored at Greenwich schools "to ensure a healthy environment," Jones said, noting that school nurses stood at the ready to assist those who might've had problems throughout the day.

Some students and staff asked for masks, which were made available from leftover inventory from the COVID-19 pandemic, Jones said

Also of note Wednesday, the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference postponed varsity outdoor playoff games.

The Greenwich First Selectman's Office issued a statement on the poor air quality, and urged residents to take caution and limit outdoor activity.

The CT Department of Health advises residents to keep all windows and doors closed to keep smoke outdoors.

"The health effects for some people may include chest tightness, shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing, eye irritation, chest pain, dizziness or lightheadedness, and other symptoms," said DPH Commissioner Dr. Manisha Juthani. "We recommend that you avoid any outdoor exercise today if you have an underlying health condition. Be sure to have your medications readily available and seek medical attention if these issues worsen."

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CT-DEEP) monitors the state’s air quality and posts air quality forecasts each day on the Air Quality Index (AQI).

Residents can subscribe to the Air Quality Index here.

It appears that the smoke effects will remain in Connecticut through Thursday, but in an evening update, there is now concern that the smoky conditions won't clear entirely until the weekend.

For more on when the smoke might clear in Connecticut, click here.