Dear Highland Central School District Families,

Safe and healthy school environments can foster healthy and successful children. To protect public health, the Public Health Law and New York State Health Department (NYS DOH) regulations require that all public schools and boards of cooperative educational services (BOCES) follow a prescribed schedule for testing lead levels in water from every outlet that is being used, or could potentially be used, for drinking or cooking. If lead is found at any water outlet at levels above 5 parts per billion (ppb), which is equal to 5 micrograms per liter (µg/L), the NYS DOH requires that the school take action to reduce the exposure to lead.

Highland recently completed its mandated testing, and the results are available on our website. This marks the first testing cycle since stricter lead standards were implemented, lowering the acceptable threshold to one-third of what was previously considered acceptable.

As part of this testing, two faucets at both the Middle School and High School were identified as exceeding the new action level, though they would have met the previous standards. At the Elementary School, which has a large number of classrooms equipped with individual water fountains and water supplies, 52 fixtures did not meet the new standards, though they also would have met prior requirements.

We want to clearly reassure families that there is no issue with the District’s overall water supply to our buildings. The water supply is safe, clean, and not contaminated. The elevated lead levels identified are related to specific end-point fixtures from which the water flows, not the water entering our schools.

As a short-term remediation measure, all fixtures that did not meet the updated action level have either been taken out of service or are clearly marked as “Non-Potable Water – Do Not Drink.” Students and staff are not permitted to use these fixtures for drinking purposes.

At this time, alternative drinking water is being provided at the Elementary School, where the majority of affected water fountains and bubblers are located, to ensure students and staff continue to have access to safe drinking water throughout the school day.

The District is actively working to replace affected faucets and bubblers/water fountains as quickly as possible. Some fixtures require additional planning and will remain out of service until a practical and permanent solution is implemented.

We appreciate your understanding and partnership as we continue to take proactive steps to maintain a safe and healthy school environment. Detailed results from the water testing conducted throughout the District on November 19, 2025, can be found on our website.

Sincerely,

Joel Freer
Superintendent of Schools