Almost 200 classrooms in St. Lucie schools safe from mold

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Consultant: Almost 200 classrooms in St. Lucie schools safe from mold

By Margot Susca

staff writer

August 5, 2005

http://www.tcpalm.com/tcp/local_news/article/0,2545,TCP_16736_3977797

,00.html

Almost 200 St. Lucie County classrooms flagged for problems are

considered safe, although potentially harmful mold was found in a

fraction of summer air samples taken from them, according to a

private air quality consultant.

Althouse, hired in mid-July to examine rooms where health

problems had been reported, sampled air at 27 schools and provided

findings to Schools Superintendent Lannon earlier this week.

In some rooms, Althouse detected higher-than-average levels of

potentially dangerous molds and requested clean-up crews tear out

walls or complete additional work to fix problems.

" The rooms that I went into, I would feel safe sending my kids in to

those rooms, " Althouse said Thursday.

" As far as the problems I found that were a threat to safety,

they've been corrected. "

In the case of Fort Pierce Central High portable classroom No. 35,

Althouse found significant mold contamination and recommended

students not be allowed back inside. It was scheduled for

demolition, the report states.

Mold exists in the air naturally, so Althouse's system sought to

determine whether levels inside were higher than outside.

Several rooms at Bayshore Elementary, Fort Pierce Central High and

the music room at Garden City Elementary had " significantly higher "

rates inside and were suspected as " growth sites, " the report says.

In releasing the information Thursday, District Spokeswoman Ginger

King wrote: " Suspicious results and/or elevated results have been re-

inspected and mitigated, if necessary. "

Schools experienced mold problems after water damage from

September's twin hurricanes. Cleanup has cost more than $80 million

and district-wide included the removal of 771,660 cubic feet of

water-damaged material, officials said.

The school district began tracking health complaints late last year

after a push from a grass-roots group. By year's end 296 complaints

were forwarded to district staff.

Althouse prioritized work based on those complaints, which listed

classroom numbers, but he did not test entire schools, citing time

and cost, and would not vouch for all schools.

Mariposa Elementary, the subject of the most complaints, is not

included in reports released Thursday. Testing started there first

and it underwent major renovations to address problems this summer.

Althouse's work, approved by the School Board on July l2, cost

$96,000 and included testing 175 rooms.

- margot.susca@...

Testing in the classroom

Schools consultant Althouse tested classrooms for mold

contamination in the following St. Lucie County schools:

ELEMENTARY

Bayshore

C.A.

ta

Frances K. Sweet

Garden City

Lakewood Park

Lawnwood

Manatee

Morningside

Parkway

Port St. Lucie

Rivers Edge

Savanna Ridge

St. Lucie

Village Green

Weatherbee

White City

Windmill Point

MIDDLE

Dan McCarty

Forest Grove Middle

Southport

St. Lucie West

HIGH

Fort Pierce Central

Port St. Lucie

Centennial

OTHER

Lincoln Park Academy

Indian Hills School