Coalition for Safe Schools holds free seminar

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http://www.lowcountrynow.com/stories/102302/LOCcalendar.shtml

Thursday:

The Hilton Head Island community group Coalition for Safe Schools will

provide a free seminar from 7:30 to 9 p.m. at Hilton Head Beach & Tennis.

Doctors and professionals will speak on the " Dangers of Mold and Mildew " and

poor indoor air quality in a school environment. The public is invited.

(remember this article? maybe this helped get them organized.)

September 25, 2002

Parent's test raises concern at school

HILTON HEAD ISLAND: Father's science project calls air quality -- and

security -- into question.

By Broadbent

Carolina Morning News

A parent with a petri dish cultivated a concern about mold at Hilton Head

Elementary School that is costing the school district thousands of dollars.

Armed with supplies purchased from a " mold lab " found advertised on the

Internet, a student's father allegedly sneaked around his child's classroom,

hiding petri dishes earlier this year. Then he went back to collect the

samples and sent them to the lab, said Beaufort County Schools spokesman

.

The lab allegedly tested the samples, said it found mold and sold the parent

mold-killing grapefruit-seed-extract misters that he installed in his

child's classroom, without telling anyone.

The misters were found a short time later and removed, said. The

parent then shared the mold report with school staff and other parents.

That concern prompted the school district to hire AAA Environmental, to test

for mold.

" Our interest was whether or not the petri dishes were sterile to begin

with, what controls there were to make sure they weren't contaminated, "

said.

AAA Environmental of Spartanburg did its first check of the school in April.

It found " no elevated levels of mold, " but made recommendations, which

included cleaning carpet and air conditioning coils. The school began

implementing the advice immediately, said, and asked the company to

return this week for more extensive testing.

The latest testing, which began Tuesday and is scheduled to end today, will

cost the school district $10,000 to $12,000, said. It also included

testing in one area of Hilton Head Middle School where rats nested in a

ceiling over the summer. The rodents were exterminated and the area cleaned,

but the school district wanted to make sure the air was clean.

AAA Environmental is accredited in a wide range of environmental consulting

service and has been used by Beaufort County Schools for several years.

They'll be honest, not just give the school district a pat on the back,

said.

Recent air quality investigations by the company at Battery Creek High

School led the Board of Education to approve a major duct-cleaning project

and installation of a new dehumidifying system that cost $2.7 million.

" We use certified, accredited experts to test the air quality across the

Beaufort County School District, " said Superintendent of Schools Herman

Gaither. " If there's a problem, we'll address it openly and publicly. "

Results from the air quality tests taken this week will likely not be back

for several weeks but will be shared with the public when they are returned,

said.

The parent's actions earlier this year didn't only raise concerns about

mold, but security at the school.

Although the father was known to those at the school and parents are allowed

full access to their children's classrooms, even well-meaning parents can

take actions that might hurt students, said.

" I'm not one to tend toward paranoia, but after Sept. 11, 2001, we should

all be a little more concerned about the appearance of petri dishes

containing unknown substances, as well as aerosol misters squirting out who

knows what, especially in the classroom, " he said.

The concern wasn't about the father, but anyone else who might have had

access to the petri dishes or misters he apparently purchased by mail,

said.

" It's not like we had an 'intruder alert' situation, " he said. " But we need

our parents to know that their best intentions may harm other students. "

It doesn't even take tampering to cause a problem. There is also the

possibility that another student might have an allergic reaction to misters

like the one put in the classroom, he said.

The child's father was apparently motivated by the child's recurring

respiratory problems. said he doesn't know if the child is still

enrolled at the school.

Hilton Head Elementary has 2,075 enrolled students and the school has

averaged 11 illness-related absences per day since school began Aug. 12.

" We take very seriously any concerns about students' health and indoor air

quality, " Gaither said. " At the same time, an average of 11 students sick

per day, for all types of illnesses, out of almost 2,100 children is a good

indicator we have a clean, healthy school and very healthy youngsters. "

Reporter Broadbent can be reached at 837-5255, ext. 110, or at

stephanie @ lowcountrynow.com