Over 200 New College of Florida students move into local hotels due to air quality concerns on-campus dorms

SARASOTA, Fla. - With the first day of classes just a week away, many New College of Florida students spent Sunday morning moving their belongings into their assigned dorms on campus, but some found themselves checking into hotels.

"I'm in a hotel which is not what I signed up for. I didn't sign up to be off campus," said incoming freshman from Sanford, FL, Mahalla Hynes. "A big reason I chose New College was to live on campus all four years and have that connection."

Hynes was one of more than 200 students told four days ago that they'd have to spend the upcoming semester living in nearby hotels.

READ: Richard Corcoran among three finalists for New College of Florida president

"Maybe it won't be that bad, but I just feel that I'm divorced from the whole idea of New College being all the way over here," Hynes added.

The decision comes after an engineering report showed mold, dirty air conditioning systems and moisture damage to rooms in two of the three buildings that make up the PEI residence halls on campus.

The first building was deemed unlivable months ago.

As a result, the school started garnering partnerships with the Home 2 Suites, Hilton Garden Inn & Hyatt Regency in downtown over the summer as a backup plan in case this exact situation unfolded.

READ: Richard Corcoran among three finalists for New College of Florida president

But, New College's VP of communications and marketing, Ryan Terry, tells FOX 13 that air quality issues have been a concern in recent years and blames the previous administration for failing to act on it.

"It goes back to at least 2020 and again in 2021 when there were reports put out that there were air quality concerns in the dorms," Terry said. "After the 2020 report, after the 2021 report, nothing measurable had been done to address the problems."

Aside from being disappointed about the short notice, some of the bigger concerns for these students and their parents are relying on shuttles or a 10-minute walk to get to class and sharing their makeshift dorms with visitors.

"I get the health concerns and stuff. I just wish it was taken care of a little bit faster, or I would've known a little bit faster," said freshman Amari Gutierrez. 

"It's not just the college. There's going to be other people in the hotel," added Yaniry Fernandez, mother of a freshman moving from New York.

The school hopes these students will make the best of it and assures hourly shuttle service will be provided.

But for some, like Mahalla, that's simply not good enough.

"We got no apology, nothing, 'Just, 'oh actually this is better. But it's not better, it's worse, " said Mahalla.