Two CedarBridge Academy staff have reported feeling unwell this term and both believed it was caused by the school environment, Education Minister Randy Horton has revealed.

But the Minister, in answer to questions from The Royal Gazette about the school, issued a statement saying that the rooms in which both people worked were tested and found to have acceptable air quality levels.

Mr. Horton also admitted that the Ruth Seaton James Auditorium — closed along with the rest of the school in November 2006 due to mould infestation — remained shut.

The statement said most of the work to rid the school of mould and prevent further infestation was complete. "Recently, a contract was signed for the upgrading of the HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) system and the CedarBridge Academy board of governors expects the clean up of Ruth Seaton James Auditorium to be completed and operational in January 2008."

Mr. Horton also responded to a story in last week's Mid-Ocean News, The Royal Gazette's sister paper, which said that US consultants S. Harris & Co. found that the school was contaminated with cockroaches and other vermin, which could have affected health.

The S. Harris report, submitted to the Ministry of Education in February, was never made public though it also includes physical assessments of other public schools on the Island.

The Mid-Ocean story suggested that the company's contract with Government was terminated before it could produce a plan to maintain a healthy school environment.

The Ministry has not responded to a request from the Gazette this week to release the report. The statement from the Minister's office said: "The Minister of Education... along with the CedarBridge Academy Board of Governors... would like to take this opportunity to assure the public that it remains committed to ensuring that the building is in optimum condition at all times.

"The public can be confident that CedarBridge Academy has a pest control plan in place which ensures that the proper maintenance protocols for plant management are carried out on a routine basis. Both the inside and outside of the school are sprayed over the course of a month on a rotating basis with the kitchen and cafeteria areas sprayed bi-weekly.

"Since the school was reopened in January 2007 after the extensive clean up there has been strict adherence to eating in designated areas which are diligently monitored. Over the summer, a manual was created for all of the school's occupants which outlined the optimum way to maintain a healthy environment."

The statement added that staff worked tirelessly to keep the Devonshire senior school clean on a daily basis and that trash was removed twice a day.

Sam Harris, owner of S. Harris & Co., said he could not disclose the contents of the report as it was the property of the Ministry of Education. "We left it that there was proposed work to be completed and we were not retained to complete the work," he said.