Richfield board hears detailed facilities and safety update; district readies cardiac response plan and AWARE program

A district presenter told the Richfield Public Schools board that the district has completed routine safety checks this year and is formalizing new requirements for next school year. The presenter said the district conducts sports-field hardness testing every other year to reduce injury risk, performs chemical-hygiene and compressed-gas (fume hood) inspections, and runs an MDE-required annual indoor-air-quality walkthrough measuring CO2, carbon monoxide, temperature and humidity.

The presenter described the new AWARE (accident and injury reduction) program the district implemented this school year, including a written plan assigning responsibilities, a standardized accident-investigation Google form and additional supervisor training. "You guys really did a great job implementing this," the presenter said of the district's rollout, adding that HR took the lead on many investigation and communication components.

The board also heard that a statutory cardiac emergency-response plan will be required next year. The plan must be written, register and maintain AEDs, identify and train a cardiac-response team and include an annual cardiac drill and an annual board review. The presenter said the district will use its existing emergency-response team and partner with Alina Heart Safe Communities for hands-on CPR training; Michelle Whiteside will lead the annual drills and reviews.

Facilities supervisor Bob Olsen summarized operational scope and capital work. He said the buildings-and-grounds team maintains more than 745,000 square feet of instructional space and supports playground and roofing repairs, asphalt replacement, fencing upgrades and water-main infrastructure projects. "We're approximately $9.1 million" in facilities spending, Olsen said, noting he is still learning the inherited budget and will work with finance to refine FY27–28 allocations.

Presenter and facilities staff reported the results of mock OSHA inspections that identified labeling gaps, unlabeled confined spaces in some air-handling units, the need for eyewash stations where corrosive chemicals are used, and some loose guard rails and noncompliant decorative lighting. Most issues were described as minor and scheduled for correction.

The presentation noted operational planning for upcoming bleacher inspections and turf-field testing, asbestos-designation training for the newly assigned district asbestos contact (Bob Olsen), forklift and power-pallet recertifications, respirator fit-testing for certified pool operators, and Tier 2 hazardous-chemical reporting to county and federal systems.

The board did not take formal action on the safety or facilities reports; administration said many items are implementation tasks staff will continue to carry out and return to the board for review when policy or budget decisions are required.