Charles H. Hulse school reopens doors to students Monday
Students at Charles H. Hulse Public School returned to their regular classes on Monday, more than a month after the elementary school was closed due to an insecticide that made some students and staff sick.
The school closed its doors to students after classes ended on April 16, and had been undergoing renovations to remove insecticide residue.
"We did some major reconstruction in the school, removing drywall, cabinetry, and flooring. We went as far as even scraping glue off the floor so that we were really starting from a new base, and reconstructed it all," said Norah Marsh, the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board's associate director of education.
In April, Ottawa-Carleton District School Board officials said they were hoping to reopen the school on May 11, or as late as May 19.
But it took another week to get the school ready.
Some parents still considering legal action
Some parents say they're still upset with how the public board handled the situation, and that they're still considering taking legal action.
Parent Sue Gauvreau said she's satisfied with the renovations and will allow her 10-year-old daughter to return on Monday, but she wants assurance that the ventilation system is clean, too.
"Something's got to be done. It can't happen again. Look what it's done to our kids," she said.
The school was closed three days after two dozen students and seven staff members started experiencing symptoms including watery eyes, itchy ears and nausea.
On April 11, the school had been sprayed with Konk 400, an insecticide containing the chemical Propoxur.
The chemical is intended for outdoor use and should not be used indoors, according to a Health Canada re-evaluation of the chemical done in 2014.
School board officials are reviewing procedures to ensure similar incidents involving insecticides don't happen again.
"We understand this has been an unusual and an unfortunate situation, so we very much appreciate everyone's efforts to stabilize the situation for our students," Marsh said.
