School building in Manatee County contains pockets of mold

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http://www.baynews9.com/NewsStory.cfm?storyid=17480

School building in Manatee County contains pockets of mold

Wednesday, April 30th

Dunbar claims her son's health problems are related to the school.

Manatee County resident Shavonna Dunbar says her son's chronic cough may be related to the school he attends.

"It's terrible," Dunbar said. "Sometimes I keep him out of school."

Dozens of parents whose children attend the same Head Start school in Palmetto have made similar complaints. They all believe pockets of mold and bacteria in the building are making their children sick.

Manatee County Schools

Click here to access their web site. The problem has gotten so bad that Pene is considering taking her children out of the school.

"It's making me not want to send my one-year-old and my two-year-old to this school," said. "I may have to send them somewhere else."

Employees with Manatee County's Head Start program have hired an outside company to inspect several buildings in the district in reaction to the parent's claims. They located mold in the Palmetto building and another Head Start location in South Bradenton.

They admit the discoveries may play a role in some of the children's health problems. They do add however, that there is no evidence that the kids are in any eminent danger related to the mold.

Inspectors found two buildings with mold in them. Several teachers in the Head Start program agreed to speak with Bay News 9 as long as their names weren't used. They said they are not comfortable working in the building and say something should be done.

thinks the Palmetto Head Start location is a great school but there needs to be some changes made. She has two recommendations: "Update the building and inform parents."

County employees say they will continue to monitor the problem, but parents such as Dunbar say unless something is done soon, she may have to put her child elsewhere.