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PANNIQTUUQ/PANGNIRTUNG
Alookie elementary school in Pangnirtung should open in February after being closed most of the school year due to a fuel oil spill in the furnace room, Qikiqtani School Operations (QSO) superintendent Paul Mooney said.

"They're getting results," Mooney said of the cleanup process. "We're working closely with the DEA (district education authority), and together we'll pick a date to get the kids and teachers to move back. We're certainly close. I'm guessing February, and I'm hoping earlier in February."

The Sept. 20 spill was cleaned up quickly and the school reopened, but lingering hydrocarbon odours caused concerns Oct. 20, so students were moved to Attagoyuk high school, where they've been sharing space since Oct. 28.

"There's nothing detected that is a health hazard or is outside the normal measurable parameters the Department of Health and the WSCC (Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission) use," he said of the results of recent testing, "so that's good news."

The QSO met with the district education authority and the departments of health, education, and Community and Government Services the first week of January to share information and determine local concerns. A prime concern is the safety of breathing in the odours, which could affect the health of those in the building.

To alleviate that problem, the partner agencies decided to replace the plywood floor in the furnace room. A consultant will also be brought in to ensure the air handling system is working properly, as there are some areas that are cooler or warmer than expected. The third aspect will be to do a complete cleaning and dusting of the school.

"Everyone seems to feel this can be done quickly, and staff are looking forward to that," Mooney said. "The staff are homesick for their own place, and I can understand that."

Despite the fact teaching hours have been reduced as primary students attend in the mornings and high school students attend in the afternoons, Mooney says extending the year into the summer has not entered the conversation.

"We know that students are not getting as much contact time as the program calls for," he said, "and people are doing their best to make sure the key areas are covered. At the high school, it's pretty focused from 1 to 5 (p.m.) every day on the curriculum they need to cover. There's no doubt we've lost time, and the sooner we get back to a regular schedule, the better."

Fortunately, weather has not led to more lost school days. "We've been lucky that way. Of course, we build in extra days for those things, but, I have to say, not this much extra. We'll look at having as much time focused on the students for the rest of the year, that's for sure.

"This whole arrangement has been a compromise, a way of getting back to school after Alookie was closed for a few days. We've lost some time, but people are trying to make the best of the time and we're hoping it will end soon."

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