District 47 addresses air quality at school: ‘No issues have been identified’

Crystal Lake School District 47 say multiple air quality tests have been completed, with no abnormal results, following concerns from staff and parents about odors at Bernotas Middle School.

District 47 Director of Operations Dave Schuh sent a letter to families Thursday addressing concerns from “growing online discussions” about Bernotas’ building, located at 170 N. Oak St.

Between May and June 2023, the district’s environmental consultant, Pepper Environmental, performed an indoor air quality study at the school that included mold, moisture, sewer gas, carbon dioxide, temperature and humidity tests. All tests came back as normal, Schuh said in the letter. More sewer gas testing and ductwork cleaning were conducted in 2023 and last year.

“Since January 2025, whenever concerns arise, the operations team has worked with outside agencies to conduct air quality tests,” Schuh said in the letter. “All results from these tests have shown no abnormal readings.”

The McHenry County Health Department in February investigated “a reported concern and found no issues,” according to the letter. From there, the Illinois Department of Public Health was alerted, and a plumbing inspector “identified a few minor issues to address, but did not detect any odors,” Schuh said in the letter. Further air quality testing was conducted before and after the repairs with no abnormal readings.

It is unclear what the department investigated.

“We take every concern seriously and work with professional outside consultants to test and determine next steps,” Schuh wrote. “Since no issues have been identified in these tests, we do not routinely communicate each instance of testing.”

According to documents posted on the district’s website in response to Freedom of Information Act requests, there have been concerns raised by staff members about smells and possible mold at the school. A report made on Feb. 7 found traces of mucor, penicillium and aspergillus niger molds in the school, the documents state. Many of the results suggested the traces were within normal range and no action was needed, while in some cases results came with referrals to the company’s “guide to remove mold,” according to the district records. Schuh said in an email to staff on March 16 that an environmental consultant will review the results, according to the FOIA.

Separately, another District 47 school, Husmann Elementary, shut down for one day last month due to an apparent gas leak after an abandoned gas line was discovered on the property and was capped off.