Mold problem now in library

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Mold problem now in library

First it was the cafeteria. Now Tarpon Springs Elementary School

closes its library to conduct tests.

By NICOLE JOHNSON

Published September 27, 2005

http://www.sptimes.com/2005/09/27/Northpinellas/Mold_problem_now_in_l

..shtml

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St. sburg,FL

TARPON SPRINGS - Tarpon Springs Elementary School has closed its

library while officials investigate whether it has a mold problem,

school officials said Monday.

" They had some information that there may be a problem with the

library and so they made a decision to close it, " Pinellas County

school superintendent Clayton Wilcox said.

, area superintendent for elementary schools in North

Pinellas, informed Wilcox of the decision to close the library

Monday afternoon.

Last week, administrators closed the school's cafeteria until a

specialist could determine whether it has mold.

Investigating and fixing the problem in the cafeteria could take

months, so school officials said they would look into bringing in a

portable building to serve as a temporary cafeteria for the 596-

student school. Last week, they made bag lunches off the site and

brought them to the school.

Wilcox has said the cafeteria will not reopen until he is satisfied

there are no health concerns.

The school district's decision on the cafeteria followed a Sept. 20

meeting that drew more than 50 parents and staff members. The crowd

included Tarpon Springs Mayor Beverley Billiris, who recalled how

she suspected the school had an air quality problem when she taught

sixth grade there.

At the same meeting, school librarian ine urged

officials to check out the library, saying that volunteers often

complain of breathing problems.

During the closure, students will not be allowed inside the library.

Adults will only go in on an infrequent basis, Wilcox said.

" I'll be asking for assessments of not only surfaces, tables and

air, but about the books, bound volumes and magazines, " Wilcox

said. " I'm hopeful that the company we've contracted to look at

these issues can say definitively that they have looked at it all

and then we'll sit down with our remediation specialist about the

best plan of action. "

Wilcox said the response could range from doing a more intensive

cleaning to moving students to another location until the school has

been checked out or resanitized.

Wilcox said he hoped parents would not panic.

" I think parents, to the degree they can, have to look at the

situation for themselves by talking with the teachers and

principals, " he said. " We've got to get some information and once we

have the information we will act quickly. We won't dawdle and we'll

never hide information from families or act in a manner that's slow. "

[Last modified September 27, 2005, 02:45:31]