Corona students plan rally for cleaner air

Parents and students concerned about indoor air pollution will hold an Earth Day rally today outside Tempe's Corona del Sol High School to call for independent testing of the school's air quality.

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For years, students and staff have complained that the poor air flow and high carbon-dioxide levels are making them sick.

Now, a group of "pro-testers," as they are calling themselves, will meet on the sidewalk on Rural Road near Knox Road, carrying signs with slogans like "Honk for Clean Air" and "Don't Guess, Test CdS."

The rally will be at 2:20 p.m., after classes at Corona del Sol end for the day.

"It's for all students and parents who want to come out and support clean air," said Mckell Keeney, president of the school's Parent-Teacher Organization. "It's Earth Day, and it's for clean air inside and out."

The Tempe Union High School District presented reports to the state last year that showed evidence of health concerns, including a 2006 study that showed carbon-dioxide levels inside Corona del Sol were higher than what the state allows.

But the Arizona School Facilities Board has refused to pay some $17 million in emergency funding to fix the school, and the district says it doesn't have enough money to make immediate repairs.

Keeney said parents will rally for the same thing they requested at last week's school board meeting - independent indoor air quality testing at the school. A committee of the PTO, the Corona Clean Air Coalition, has agreed to pay for the testing.

"We don't have the current levels of carbon dioxide, we don't have all the appendices from some of the reports that have been done," Keeney said. "We'd like current testing that is thorough, not just spot-testing."

Meanwhile, attempting to address the issue, state senators agreed Monday to let the school district's governing board impose a tax on residents to fix ventilation problems at the high school.

The 18-10 vote came over objections of several lawmakers who were opposed to letting the board hike taxes without a public vote.

But Sen. John Huppenthal, R-Chandler, said there isn't the time for such a vote.

He said the amount of carbon dioxide in the school is more than three times above certain standards and parents are wondering what other kinds of toxins might be present.

And Huppenthal said only by raising taxes now can the necessary repairs be completed over the summer.

The language was attached to a House bill that made structural changes to the School Facilities Board, the public agency charged with approving school construction and financing major school repairs.

But if the Senate's changes are to stick, the state House must approve the additional language.