District tests Gateway Elementary for mold LEE COUNTY

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District tests Gateway Elementary for mold

reported by Ritter

Last updated: November 14, 2003 06:38 PM

LEE COUNTY, November 14, 2003— Several people are suing the Lee

County School Board because of potential mold problems at Gateway

Elementary School. The school district is responding by testing every

single room inside the school for mold. Although the lawsuit points

out problems from the past, school officials say they want to clear

the air for the future.

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TESTS FOR MOLD

While the children are away, every single classroom inside Gateway

Elementary School will be carefully tested. Scientists are trying to

find out if there are toxic levels of mold inside the school.

" I want to assure myself, assure the community and the school folks

that there are no issues inside that school, " said Dr. Browder,

Superintendent of Lee County schools.

The Lee County School Board was recently slapped with a new lawsuit,

accusing the principal and staff of improperly maintaining the

building. Among those suing are dozens of parents, teachers and even

children who say something inside must have made them sick.

But scientists at the Lee County Health Department say those kinds of

cases are nearly impossible to prove from a medical standpoint.

" There certainly have been extreme cases, but what I'm trying to

suggest is finding mold doesn't mean the building poses a health

risk, " said Judith Hartner of the Lee County Health Department.

But that's exactly what the people suing are trying to prove,

claiming problems date back three years.

School officials admit there have been problems before.

" Every district deals with it. I'm going to deal with it in a

positive fashion. I'm not going to look back, I'm going to look at

what's in the future and what I have today, " said Browder.

The superintendent's main mission is to reassure the people who are

inside Gateway Elementary now.

People who were inside the school said over the summer, mold was

found on desks and in the carpet. The building's been cleaned up

since then and school officials say they've had no recent reports of

problems.

Test results from the samples should be back in a few weeks