School Mold Problem Getting Old, Parents Say

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School Mold Problem Getting Old, Parents Say

Superintendent Apologizes To Parents Running Out Of Patience

Posted: 1:07 p.m. EST February 13, 2003Updated: 1:15 p.m. EST February 13, 2003

WESTON, Fla. -- Parents at a Weston school took on the school superintendent today over a mold problem they say is not getting better. The media center (pictured) at Country Isles Elementary still sits empty. While that area has been cleaned of mold, the neighboring computer center failed a clean air test. Broward educators thought the work would be done by now, and they're not too happy about the delay. "I can't express it in words that can be expressed on TV," said Broward School Superintendent Till. "I'm very disappointed that we did not get this open." Some parents with children at the school are running out of patience. "We are concerned that our children are going to be at this school, in classrooms where there could be mold growing and they're not re-testing the classrooms as we were told back in August," said parent Patti Bradley. Till said that re-testing is not an issue. "What we've said all along is that we have a consultant that comes in and takes a look at it. And in some ways that is a form of a test in that (they) comes in and does a visual inspections and if they determine that we need to do more testing we'll do that. But to simply test everything, we've been advised, is not necessarily a productive use of test," Till said. Parent Ken Monteath said the mold problem is obvious and needs to be dealt with now. "You talk to volunteer parents and other volunteers who move books around and the teachers -- and when you have a mold that smells like a basement up north, you know there's a mold problem, but yet they do not want to (recheck) it until the hygiene (specialist) comes in," said Monteath. Till apologized to parents this morning. The next inspection at the school is set for next week.

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