Northport MS Students To Be Relocated For Rest Of School Year

NORTHPORT, NY — Northport Middle School students will be relocated throughout the Northport-East Northport Union Free School District, Superintendent Robert Banzer told parents Saturday.

The relocation will remain in effect throughout the remainder of the school year and comes amidst an investigation by environmental firm PW Grosser Consulting into elevated levels of mercury found in a cesspool near the school.

The first day of relocated classes is Thursday; students are off Monday through Wednesday due to a holiday and district officials' preparation for the move. The relocation plan is:

• Northport Middle School 8th Graders will be relocated to the High School. Most of the courses will take place in one wing of the building. However, when it is necessary for students to attend classes such as science, art & technology in another part of the building they will be escorted by staff.
• Northport Middle School 7th Graders will be relocated to East Northport Middle School.
• Northport Middle School 6th Graders will be relocated to two elementary schools with their academic teams. Six Gold & Six White will attend Norwood Avenue Elementary and Six Blue will attend Bellerose Avenue Elementary School.

PWGC is still in the "early stages" of its comprehensive investigation of environmental conditions at the school, according to Paul Boyce, the firm's president. It includes extensive testing of soil, vapor, indoor air quality, a geophysical survey and testing of the school’s sanitary system and storm water.

Friday evening, PWGC told the district soil samples from two different septic systems on the southern and eastern sides of Northport Middle School contained elevated levels of benzene that will require further remediation, according to the Suffolk County Department of Health Services, Banzer said.

Banzer added that preliminary air testing indicated no observable detection of volatile organic compounds, including benzene, inside the building, or from the soil samples, as well as at the source of the septic tanks.

"In the best interest of our students and staff and in consideration of ongoing testing and remediation, the building will be closed for the balance of the school year," Banzer wrote.

Banzer said he will share any update with the community provided to the district by PWGC. On Tuesday and Wednesday, district officials will work on the relocation logistics for staff and students, including scheduling, transportation and food service.

"We realize that this is a substantial undertaking," Banzer said. "However, the Board of Education and I firmly believe it is in the best interest of our students and staff to relocate. It is our goal to minimize the disruption to our students and staff to the extent possible. We will have staff available to all students to help them through this challenging situation."