Lincoln County High School - Mold concerns

October 17, 2002

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October 15, 2002

Mold concerns at high school prompt tests

Lincoln County High School will undergo testing to determine the severity of

an apparent mold infestation in some portions of the structure. Board of

education officials voted last week to hire a firm specializing in

industrial hygiene to conduct the tests and identify the type of mold

present as well as a solution to the apparent problem.

" Ever since the high school has been there, we've experienced problems,

mostly in the northern portion of the building, " said Bobby Alder,

supervisor of buildings and maintenance for the Lincoln County School

System, during Monday's regular meeting of the board. " We seemed to have

solved the problem, but now, it seems to be coming back. "

New signs of mold have extended from the northern area of the school to the

library, Alder said, citing extremely high humidity levels as a major

contributing factor.

" We've tried dehumidifiers, and that's not working, " he said, adding that a

number of other measures have been taken, from replacing motors in roof

venting units, calling in specialists with the school's pneumatic and HVAC

system to utilizing additional filters and humidistats. And while some areas

of the building have experienced improvement, others have not, he said.

" We think it's coming in through the air ducts, " said Alder, citing

darkness, moisture and dust particles as contributing factors. " Bringing in

air quality people will help us confirm that yes, we have mold, what kind of

mold it is and then what we can do to stop it at its source. "

In other business, the board approved a $135,800 bid for roof improvements

at Eighth District Elementary School. When completed, all of Eighth District

will be under a new roof, officials said.

The board also agreed to transfer $115,000 from its fund balance to its

building fund to close out all the work done as part of the now completed

building program.

Board members also agreed to pay $35,000 in back-time to 21 employees who,

over the past two years, have worked two or more jobs within the system and

not received time-and-a-half compensation.

" As soon as I discovered this, it was brought to the board, " said

Bradford, the county's financial manager, adding that he was working on a

remedy to the situation and that all future hires would hired in such a away

to prevent similar overtime situations.

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