BIDDEFORD — The School Committee voted on Tuesday to hire an indoor air quality consultant to follow up on recommendations the company has made for Biddeford High School.

Turner Building Science & Design, LLC, based in Harrison, is the second company hired by the School Department this school year to look into indoor air quality issues at the high school.

Many believe that poor air quality is causing health problems among students and others working in the building. There is concern that construction to the renovate the high school, for which voters passed a bond in November, is contributing to indoor air quality problems.

Turner Building Science & Design was hired after parents said they did not trust the results of Air Quality Management, which had been hired by the district to conduct air quality testing at the school.

The School District has already paid $3,000 to Turner Building Science & Design for its initial review of the air quality testing and the company has issued a report. Turner plans to propose a work plan and a budget to the School Committee on Monday, when they will hold an emergency meeting to vote on funding the work.

Superintendent of Schools Sarah-Jane Poli said Tuesday there is no money budgeted for testing and the committee raised concerns about funding.

“How much is our children’s health worth?” asked Jaime Hauck, whose son, Josh, a sophomore at BHS, has complained of headaches and other symptoms at school.

On Tuesday, the company’s president and CEO, William Turner, gave an outline of his proposed recommendations for the high school.

The highest priority, he said, should be to review and evaluate construction containment plans. He recommended that Ledgewood Construction, the South Portland-based company contracted for the school renovation, utilize guidelines developed by the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors National Association, Inc.

Other recommendations included review of the ventilation system and moisture management methods, evaluation of cleaning practices, interviews with staff, and investigating reports of allergic reactions. The recommendations were made after Turner’s company did an on-site visit at the high school on Jan. 27.

Company representatives interviewed 12 people, including students and staff. In addition, they reviewed 18 documents, including indoor air quality reports produced by Air Quality Management Services, Inc., based in Gray, and other papers. No new testing was conducted.

The company’s evaluation was based on the assumption that the data reviewed was accurate, said Turner. However, he said, he couldn’t tell, based on his limited review, whether the data was representative of all areas of the building.

Environmental Code Officer Brian Phinney addressed Turner’s recommendations and stated that a number of these were already being employed. He noted that Ledgewood had obtained the contractors association guidelines and had implemented about 80 percent of those practices and procedures.

Moisture problems, which can encourage mold growth, have been a persistent problem not only at the high school but also at other city-owned buildings, said Phinney. He said he and Facilities Director Phil Radding are working on a citywide moisture plan.

School Committee member Anthony Michaud, who has advocated for action on this issue, said he was pleased with the Turner report. He said he favored hiring the company to act on its recommendations.

Mayor Twomey asked whether Turner found a “smoking gun.”

He said he didn’t have the appropriate information to make that determination.

Acrimony between the parents advocating for their children and the mayor has become a constant at meetings when air quality issues are discussed.

The mayor, who has said several times that she’s unsure what more can be done at the school to address parents’ concerns, asked whether the health problems some students suffered from could be related to their home environment rather than the high school.

Turner said the benefit of looking at home environments was questionable because most families with allergy problems maintain immaculate conditions at home to alleviate problems.

— Staff Writer Dina Mendros can be contacted at 282-1535, Ext. 324 or dmendros@journaltribune.com.