Cost of fixing buildings estimated at $12 million

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2 Evesham schools have mold

Friday, May 20, 2005

http://www.courierpostonline.com/news/southjersey/m052005b.htm

Cost of fixing buildings estimated at $12 million

By MATT KATZ

Courier-Post Staff

EVESHAM

South Jersey

Mold found in two school buildings will require the district to

spend $12 million to replace heating, ventilation and air-

conditioning systems, but it does not pose an immediate threat to

students, the district announced Thursday.

The problem stems from leaks in the schools' roofs, which were

poorly designed and constructed, according to a statement sent home

with students at Rice Elementary School and the joint DeMasi

Elementary and DeMasi Middle schools.

The district is the second in the tri-county region - the other

being Washington Township, Gloucester County - to face significant

mold problems.

The Evesham board became aware of the problem in 2003 and, although

the public wasn't notified, it took " immediate short term,

corrective and controlling actions, " according to the letter. The

work included replacing ceiling tiles, carpets and wallboard, and

using dehumidifiers.

The school board in December commissioned a final report from

experts hired to determine the extent of the mold growth. The school

board reviewed the report, from an architect and engineer, in a

closed session in April.

On Wednesday, more than a month after the report was finished,

Superintendent Pat Lucas met with PTA presidents and faculty at the

affected schools.

Students went home Thursday with a letter from the superintendent

detailing the problem and notifying them of an informational meeting

next week. At that meeting, school officials will detail a timeline

for a plan to fix the problem, and experts hired by the district

will answer questions.

The costs for such a plan also will be discussed. At an approximate

cost of $12 million, the district might have to put a bond

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The initial plan is to fix the problem over the next two summers,

district spokeswoman Jeanne said. The schools will not be

closed.

The issues stem from problems with construction in the early 1990s

at both school buildings, according to the district. Major portions

of the roof and HVAC system at DeMasi need replacement, and much of

the HVAC system at Rice needs to be replaced, too.

In 2001, the township sued the architect, contractor and

construction manager for DeMasi, alleging the roof consistently

leaked. It recently added further claims to the lawsuit, saying that

the HVAC system was defective.

But Alan Hoffmann, president of the Marlton-based Vitetta Group, the

building architects, said the company has been involved in the

construction of thousands of schools for 40 years and this is the

first instance of mold.

The district is not suing over the construction of Rice, because the

statute of limitations has expired, Lucas said.

Since the DeMasi suit is in the courts, the board had to meet

privately to discuss the mold issues until this point, said.

Ongoing litigation can legally be discussed behind closed doors.

Plus, the district hopes to recover some of the costs for fixing the

mold problem through its suit, said. It did not want to

jeopardize the case by discussing the matter publicly.

Now that the information has been released, it is raising concerns

among parents. Ben , the father of two Rice students, said his

youngest daughter has been sick a number of times this year and he

is worried it might be mold-related.

" We may have to get her to a specialist, we may have an issue here, "

he said.

But in her statement, Lucas said the mold problems " do not present a

substantial, imminent risk to the health of the overall school

population. " At DeMasi, she said, the mold is " concentrated in the

unoccupied attic spaces. "

In Washington Township, a group of parents is suing over mold

problems at two middle schools where students and teachers have

complained of health problems.