A CLOSER LOOK: MOLD IN SCHOOLS - A mushrooming problem

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A CLOSER LOOK: MOLD IN SCHOOLS - A mushrooming problem

Bobby Ross Jr.; The Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - To protest a menace in their school, nearly 1,000

students at East High School in Memphis skipped homeroom one day.

Across the state, another 1,000 students spent a month at Bristol Motor

Speedway - not watching NASCAR races, but studying in the skyboxes while a

threat was removed at Sullivan East High School.

In each case, the problem was the same: mold.

Nationwide, school districts are finding allergy-inducing mold in walls, on

carpets and near ventilation systems. While one report blames aging

buildings and mold-promoting construction techniques, one expert says it's

due to a lack of proper ventilation in newer schools.

" It's a growing problem, and it's one of the more high-priority issues that

schools are dealing with, " said ka Plater, indoor air quality manager

for the American Association of School Administrators.

Mold has forced some administrators to shut down schools and make millions

of dollars in repairs. Others face lawsuits from students and staff who

claim moldy buildings caused long-term health problems.

Artondale Elementary School in Gig Harbor was closed twice during the last

school year after students and staff members complained of itchy eyes,

headaches, sinus problems, breathing troubles, rashes and a host of other

ailments.

No single cause of the problem was found, and experts said it likely was

caused by several factors, including too much dust in the building, not

enough air circulation and low humidity.

Crews found little mold but ripped up much of the school's carpeting and

replaced it with floor tiles, cleaned out air ducts and disposed of dusty

materials.

In Austin, Texas, voters approved a $49.3 million bond issue in February to

pay for mold removal and preventive maintenance in 91 schools. In Fort

Myers, Fla., several teachers sued county school officials last week,

accusing them of failing to fix mold problems.

In Tennessee, just before the Bristol students were forced out of their

school, teenagers at Heritage High School about two hours away in ville

got an unexpected four-week vacation when mold was found there. The repair

estimate: $1 million.

Memphis school board members called an emergency meeting after hundreds of

students there refused to enter East High, which some parents described as a

" mold-infested hazard. "

About 600 students received medical screenings after Criss Mister

Jr., 17, died Nov. 16 following an asthma attack. So far, no link has been

found between the death and mold in the school, but the school board hired

an environmental consultant, and federal inspectors with the Environmental

Protection Agency will tour it today.

Sonji , the mother of a student, told Superintendent nie B.

that bringing in experts wasn't enough.

" My baby is on a respirator, Mr. , " she screamed through a white mask

that covered her nose and mouth in a sign of protest. " She cannot breathe,

and what are you going to do about it? "

Mold problems usually go unnoticed until people become ill. No federal

agency regulates or monitors air quality in schools, and few states inspect

for it.

In Tennessee, no state agency monitors mold in schools.

" It's really everybody's problem because it's such a new issue, " said Judith

, the state Education Department spokeswoman. " That's why it seems to

be falling kind of between the cracks. "

Tennessee's education department sent e-mail to school officials statewide

Friday and directed them to an EPA Web site that offers guidance on air

quality issues.

Plater said a federal report suggests old, dilapidated schools might be more

susceptible to mold. Others say the Gypsum wallboard and carpeted floors

that replaced plaster and wood make newer schools a greater target because

they soak up more moisture.

Weekley, president of Knoxville-based Environmental Consulting and

Testing, said the 1970s energy crisis prompted construction of more airtight

schools. Less natural ventilation is part of the problem, he said.

Another factor is the tendency of cash-strapped districts to delay

maintenance and patch leaks, he said.

Mold occurs naturally and can grow almost anywhere that's warm and damp.

Experts have identified more than 100,000 species of mold; at least 1,000

are common in the United States.

While the most common molds generally aren't hazardous, some types are

blamed for headaches, fatigue and respiratory problems.

Sullivan County Schools director O'Dell said the Bristol high school

was shut down for about six weeks and $600,000 worth of repairs after

children became ill and several classrooms tested positive for black mold,

or Stachybotrys chartarum, which can cause breathing problems.

The mold there was primarily around poorly insulated pipes that carry cold

water throughout the building to cool classrooms. The pipes created

condensation that dripped onto porous ceiling tiles, providing a breeding

ground for mold.

" I think we're all more sensitive to it now, " O'Dell said. " We've told the

principals and custodians to keep an eye out for any discolored tile and

then replace it immediately. "

News Tribune staff contributed to this report.

On The Net:

Environmental Protection Agency: www.epa.gov/iaq/schools/scfaqs.html

Tennessee Education Department: www.state.tn.us/education/

(Published 12:30AM, November 25th, 2002)

Bobby Ross Jr.; The Associated Press