Continuous Improvement
Air Handling Upgrades
New Report Leads to Building Enhancements at Covington Middle School:
Based on prior recommendations of experts, AHPS conducted an occupied building air quality assessment. The findings are now available. While the air quality meets all safety requirements, the assessment confirmed an opportunity to upgrade ventilation to improve flow of fresh air in the building. AHPS has made plans to install window-mounted ventilation units and will completely replace the RTU-4 air handler with a new, more efficient system. Work will begin later this month and continue through the summer with minimal disruption to instruction.
Current Status:
While multiple facility updates were completed prior to the return of students on March 18, 2025, the Alleghany Highlands School Board and district leadership are aware of lingering community concerns. Therefore, they have continued to pursue third-party assessments and expert recommendations to support the long-term health and comfort of the Covington Middle School community.
As recommended by Facility Dynamics in their March 3 report, AHPS engaged ECS Mid-Atlantic, LLC to conduct an Occupied Building Indoor Air Quality Assessment. The results of this assessment were released in the late afternoon of April 8, 2025.
The report confirmed that the building meets safety requirements. However, it also revealed variations in air flow / ventilation quality in the building. The Alleghany Highlands School Board directed AHPS leadership to immediately procure a new air handling system to replace the RTU-4 unit and take advantage of the efficiency of newer equipment. This unit has been ordered and should be in place prior to the start of the fall semester. AHPS has also ordered temporary window units to improve air flow in affected classrooms. These will be installed upon arrival.
The latest ECS report is available below and our Frequently Asked Questions page has been updated with corresponding information.
Based on the latest available information, the Alleghany Highlands School Board has authorized the purchase of new equipment to improve air quality and ventilation and has directed staff to continue regular in-person instruction.
What Happened:
On January 31, 2025, a strong, unidentified odor was reported on the third floor of Covington Middle School. Several individuals in that area reported feeling unwell. Students and staff were moved to the Community Center, and EMS responded when two staff members reported symptoms. Students were later dismissed, and additional specialists were brought in to investigate the cause. Following this incident, students were moved to virutal instruction for several weeks while AHPS conducted building testing in partnership with multiple state and local agencies and third-party private sector consultants. On March 18, 2025, after all studies were completed, students and teachers returned to in-person instruction. The Alleghany Highlands School Board committed to implementing all recommendations as noted in the reports received from both ECS and Facility Dynamics the week of March 10, 2025.
The first two weeks back were relatively uneventful, but similar odors were reported again the week of March 31, 2025 in the same area of the building. Emergency officials investigated and determined that no evacuation or closure was necessary.
Meanwhile, as recommended by Facility Dynamics, ECS conducted an occupied building indoor air quality assessment, taking samples on March 24 and March 31. Their findings were released on April 8, 2025. This report confirmed that the building was meeting indoor air quality safety requirements, but confirmed an opportunity to improve ventilation on the second and third floors.
Based on the most recent evaluation, Alleghany Highlands School Board has directed facilities improvements:
- Replacement of the third-floor rooftop air handler (RTU-4) with a new high-efficiency unit
- Installation of window-mounted ventilation units in select classrooms to support increased airflow and ventilation in the short term
Incident Evaluation:
Following the initial January 31 incident, a team of experts—including local fire and EMS, Roanoke Regional Hazmat, the Virginia Department of Health (VDH), and the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM)—conducted a full investigation.
During this period, AHPS received unofficial reports of elevated carboxyhemoglobin levels in some individuals—a possible indicator of carbon monoxide exposure. To ensure a complete review of environmental and mechanical conditions, two independent firms—ECS Mid-Atlantic, LLC and Facility Dynamics Engineering—were brought in to conduct expert assessments.
On February 1, VDH closed their investigation into CMS, determining there were no lingering public health concerns at CMS.
On February 2, VDEM identified two mechanical issues in the first-floor kitchen:
- An inefficiently burning stove, which was removed and the gas line capped; and
- A malfunctioning exhaust fan, which was repaired.
On February 5, VDH announced a broader investigation into a cluster of reports of elevated carboxyhemoglobin levels in the broader region. That investigation is ongoing.
As part of its commitment to continued monitoring, AHPS conducted follow-up indoor air quality testing in late March. These evaluations showed that indoor air quality remained well within OSHA standards, but confirmed opportunities to improve airflow and ventilation. As a result, AHPS approved two key upgrades: the full replacement of RTU-4 and the installation of window-mounted ventilation units in select areas.
On March 5, 2025, the Virginia State Fire Marshal’s Office conducted an initial inspection and made recommendations for building safety improvements. On March 14, 2025, the Virginia State Fire Marshal’s Office returned to conduct an inspection and reported no violations.
On March 18, 2025, students returned to in-person instruction.
On March 24 and 31, ECS collected additional air quality samples with the building now occupied as recommended by the Facility Dynamics study.
On April 10, 2025, the final ECS report dated April 8, 2025 was released. All technical assessments have been made available for download from this website.
New Reports
Technical Evaluations
ECS Mid-Atlantic, LLC (ECS) was hired to provide Alleghany Highlands School Board (AHSB) with Indoor Air Quality Testing Services performed at Covington Middle School located at 606 South Lexington Avenue in Covington, Virginia. This report summarizes their observations, analytical results, findings, and recommendations related to the work performed.
ECS Mid-Atlantic, LLC (ECS) was hired to provide Alleghany Highlands School Board (AHSB) with Indoor Air Quality Testing Services performed at Covington Middle School located at 606 South Lexington Avenue in Covington, Virginia. This report summarizes their observations, analytical results, findings, and recommendations related to the work performed.
Facility Dynamics Engineering (FDE) was hired to evaluate Covington Middle School’s building mechanical systems with a focus on performance, safety, and efficiency. The safety and efficiency aspect of this investigation focused primarily on the air side of the building’s mechanical systems. This report summarizes their observations, results, findings, and recommendations.