The results of the building condition survey and the repair plans for Merenkurkku School were presented to the parents

Building condition survey and repairs to improve indoor air quality

In May and June, AFRY Finland Oy conducted a comprehensive building condition survey at Merenkurkku School, covering humidity, indoor air, and ventilation technology The information briefing covered the condition survey findings, and the repair work aimed at improving indoor air quality.

The aim of the current repairs is to ensure the safe and healthy use of the building for the next few years.

The repair work began over the summer holidays, starting with the most urgent and disruptive tasks. The most important actions include:

• Repairing the damp damage to the canteen floor
• Structural sealing work on the classroom wing built in the 1960s.

The repair work will continue throughout the academic year, with further information to be provided later. The success of the repair work and the indoor air quality of the building are being actively monitored.

Textile work classes will relocate to TaiKon

For the academic year 2024–2025, Merenkurkku School’s pupils will study at three different locations: the Merenkurkku School, Alma Adult Education Centre, and Keskuskoulu. These temporary relocations will have a positive impact on the ventilation of the Merenkurkku school building and they will support the renovation work.

The teaching of textile work will move from the Merenkurkku School to TaiKon’s premises in the Barracks area, where basic art education is provided.

Other remedial measures have also been implemented at Merenkurkku School, including ventilating classrooms during breaks, exploring the possibility of organising physical education classes at TennisCenter, and maintaining moderate class sizes to help alleviate overcrowding.

Pupils are encouraged to spend their breaks outside under the supervision of the yard duty teacher. Pupils move between the different buildings several times a day according to their individual school schedules. The school schedule also changes four times a year, so if there is less mobility during breaks in one period, there will be more in another.

Assessment by the health protection authority

On 29 August 2024, the health protection authority conducted an assessment of the school’s conditions in accordance with the Health Protection Act. The assessment was conducted by Health Engineer Maarit Kantola from the City of Vaasa’s Environmental Department.

According to the health protection authority, pupils may continue to use the school premises under the following conditions:

• The urgent repairs identified in the AFRY Finland condition survey will be scheduled and conducted without delay.
• Tracer gases are used to verify the effectiveness of the sealing work.
• The indoor air conditions in the textile work classrooms will be further investigated, and the moisture-affected textile storage areas adjacent to these classrooms will be decommissioned. The textiles kept in these storage rooms are washed or disposed of.
• In classroom 102, indoor air is measured for PAHs.
• Short-term window ventilation in classrooms is increased.
• The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) indoor air survey is conducted in early 2026.

City Centre Comprehensive School to open in 2028

A new school complex, intended for Finnish-language basic education classes 1–9, will be built in Vaasa city centre in the next few years.

Once completed, the new premises will house the entire Merenkurkku secondary school and the bilingual and English classes of the Suvilahti school. After the relocation, the Merenkurkku school building will no longer be used for educational purposes.

The City Centre Comprehensive School will consist of three buildings:

• The historically valuable property at Kauppapuistikko 22.
• A new building to be constructed on the site of the old building at Raastuvankatu 33 which is to be demolished.
• The Keskuskoulu primary school, renovated in 2020. The building will be used in its present condition.

Estimated schedule for the construction of the City Centre Comprehensive School:

The target start date for the planning phase is early 2025, with the planning phase expected to last about a year. The construction phase will begin with the demolition works and is expected to start in May 2026. The construction phase is estimated to take two years. The new comprehensive school will open in autumn 2028. The schedule will be refined as the project progresses.

Short introductions were given by Head of Education Department Kari Nummela, Head of Unit at AFRY Finland Oy Toni Lammi, Health Engineer for the City of Vaasa Maarit Kantola, Principal Sanna Heinilä, and Director of Premises Management Office Tapio Ollikainen.

Also present were the Regional Chief Physician, the Head Nurse of School Health Services, and the School Nurse from the Ostrobothnia Wellbeing Services County, as well as the Director of Education from the City of Vaasa.