MAYPEARL, Texas – The fire chief of Maypearl in Ellis County asserts that he never authorized the reopening of Maypearl Primary School, which was temporarily closed last week due to air quality concerns.
Despite growing unease among parents, Superintendent Ritchie Bowling declined to disclose specific details regarding the safety of the school’s air quality. His comments came ahead of a contentious emergency meeting of the school board on Wednesday evening, where concerned families demanded answers.
The meeting, held in the Maypearl High School auditorium, was at full capacity with more than 100 attendees seated and dozens more forced to stand. Frustration was palpable as parents voiced concerns that their children’s health may have been affected by conditions in the primary school.
During the meeting, Superintendent Bowling acknowledged that some areas of the school had slightly elevated carbon dioxide (CO2) levels. However, he assured parents that air quality monitors were in place and that protocols were being followed to ventilate affected rooms and quickly reduce CO2 levels.
“We are starting to see that the CO2 levels are not elevating as rapidly,” Bowling stated.
Despite these assurances, the superintendent admitted that no official documentation currently confirms the school is safe. He instead cited verbal assurances from inspectors affiliated with the Texas Association of School Boards and HVAC professionals.
The fire chief ordered the school’s closure last Tuesday after detecting elevated CO2 levels, a finding corroborated by documents from the Texas Association of School Boards. High CO2 levels often indicate inadequate ventilation and poor air quality.
Some parents claim their children have experienced prolonged illness due to the conditions at the school. Maypearl’s police chief and Ellis County’s fire marshal also supported the closure.
Maypearl ISD acknowledged it has been aware of the air quality issues since November and has since undertaken HVAC repairs to ensure the safety of students and staff. Pre-K through first-grade students missed a full week of classes before returning on Wednesday.
However, lingering concerns remain among parents, many of whom feel the district failed to act swiftly enough.
“You disgust me,” said parent Rachel Girard. “You have been well aware of this campus’ issue since our emails that started in November of 2024.”
“We should not have to worry about the air our children are breathing at school,” added parent Kati Martin.
“These departments stepped in when leadership failed,” said parent Jacob Smith.
Notably absent from Wednesday’s meeting was Maypearl’s fire chief, who later told FOX 4’s David Sentendrey that he had not granted permission for the primary school to reopen.
When pressed on the matter, Superintendent Bowling appeared uncertain about the fire chief’s role in the reopening decision.
“Do you believe that you need the fire chief’s permission to reopen?” Sentendrey asked.
“My understanding is that he has,” Bowling responded. “But if that’s not the case, he needs to contact me. I’ve made multiple attempts to reach him, and he has not returned my calls.”
As tensions persist, parents continue to demand clear answers and official confirmation that their children are not at risk.