More testing is taking place at Primrose Hill School, but not inside the classrooms. 

The testing is focused on the soil in the elementary school’s playground.

Recent tests conducted as part of the district’s school construction project revealed elevated levels of certain contaminants in the soil. Specifically, the tests showed increased amounts of manganese, chrysene, and benzo(a)pyrene near the edge of the playground, a few feet from the swings. 

School officials believe the contaminants can be traced to 2015, when the district removed a below-ground holding tank. There is a plan to remove the dirt where the contaminants were found. 

In addition, school officials recently announced that more testing would be done on soil samples from throughout the school’s playground. 

Barrington Superintendent of Schools Robert Wargo said the company GM2 collected additional soil samples in late November and sent them to a Rhode Island state certified laboratory. 

“After hearing concerns from some Primrose families, the school department has requested additional sampling to gather additional data for the soils within the playground area,” Wargo said. 

The superintendent said the samples came from the top two feet of the soil beneath the wood chips in the playground. On Monday, Dec. 2, Wargo said the district was awaiting the results from the testing.

“Remediation activities are scheduled to begin following the selection of a licensed contractor and will be conducted outside of school hours to minimize disruption,” Wargo said. “A final cost is dependent on the scope of the work.”

In the meantime, school officials have recommended that Primrose Hill students be allowed to play outside. They are encouraging hand-washing and also reminding students not to eat the dirt. 

Officials recently sent an email to Primrose Hill School parents.

“The toxicologists assured parents that while the levels were elevated, the actual risk to the health of our children is very low,” stated the email. “The levels that exist on our playground are lower than those which have been seen in studies to produce an adverse outcome. Furthermore, our playground is covered by 12 inches of wood chips, which create an additional barrier between our children and the soil in question.”

Wargo said he believes the community has demonstrated a level of trust in the school district. 

“Our goal was to be fully transparent and share the facts as they become available,” he said.