mobanmarketPRINCETON, NJ – As the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection issued a code orange air quality alert for Thursday, Princeton Public Schools will not be conducting any outdoor activities like gym or recess, the Superintendent said.
“Details regarding field trips will be communicated by each school,” Superintendent Carol Kelly said.
The air quality in New Jersey reached hazardous levels on Wednesday due to the smoke from the Canadian wildfires. More: 19 Surreal Photos Show Canadian Wildfire Smoke Spread Across Northeast
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In a letter to the school community, Kelly said the district was also making modifications to improve air quality. The district is distributing portable “air scrubbers” to all schools.
“While the air quality alert is active, we are making modifications to improve air quality inside our schools. Windows in all schools will remain closed to minimize any pollutants from entering the buildings. Our air conditioning systems will be operating on recycled air from inside the building,” Kelley said.
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“In addition, we are disbursing several commercial-grade air scrubber machines to schools. The air scrubbers are portable and work quickly to remove particles and discharge cleaner air back into a room.”
As an extra precaution, the district said parents may send students to school with a mask. “Masks will also be available in each school for students who would like one.”
The school district is in contact with health officials and is monitoring the situation closely.
“Our administrative team, in consultation with our district physician and the Department of health, will continue to assess the air quality index in our community. If there are any changes impacting school operations, we will communicate them promptly, Kelley said.
As of Thursday, the air quality in Princeton hit the “very unhealthy” level. AirNow.gov, which reports air quality using the official U.S. Air Quality Index (AQI), showed that the Municipality had a particulate matter level of 255 around 10 a.m. A level of 300 is deemed “hazardous.”
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