State health officials will test Uxbridge High School on Thursday, June 4, after several female teachers were diagnosed with breast cancer or precancerous conditions in recent years. The district announced the visit on Monday, June 1, and said classes will continue as usual while the Massachusetts Department of Public Health examines the building.
The testing will cover the school’s interior and exterior, including electrical, plumbing, mechanical and HVAC systems, along with indoor and outdoor air quality on the campus. Officials also plan to look at previous uses of the site, though the school was built in 2012 and state officials already have ruled out the water supply as a risk factor after thorough testing.
The district said the cases remain confidential and that it alerted the health department after learning of the diagnoses over the past few years. David Ljungberg, who signed the district letter announcing the testing, said the district held a staff meeting to share what it knew so far. He said it is possible the cases are unrelated, but the district is looking into environmental factors that may have played a role.
Public health officials have said there is no evidence of immediate danger in the building and no reason to limit access to or use of the facility now. They are also reviewing the cases by age, medical history, genetic history and other factors to determine whether there is any statistical pattern. Still, the district said the likelihood of finding a direct correlation between the diagnoses and the building is slim, and DPH officials have cautioned that a clear environmental source is rarely found in workplace investigations.
The inspection is the next official step, and the public should expect a final report after the testing is complete.
