Mold still grows on schools

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Mold still grows on schools

By SCOTT BRODEN

sbroden@...

Murfreesboro, TN

http://www.dnj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?

AID=/20050909/NEWS01/509090320/1002

SMYRNA — Buchanan School children study below about " 50 to 100

ceiling tiles that are black from mold, " Principal Mike Swanson told

district officials Thursday.

" That's going to be a tough situation, " said Swanson, adding that 23

dehumidifiers set up last month failed to resolve the 60 percent to

70 percent humiditiy problem in 27 classrooms and five or six

hallways.

" Mold started up again, " Swanson told Rutherford County School Board

officials while they held a meeting at the Smyrna High cafeteria

prior to a campus dedication ceremony.

Staff engineer Clardy assured school officials that the problem

will soon be resolved after heating and cooling adjustments are

made. The problems are also being experienced at Christiana

Elementary and Walter Hill Elementary.

Buchanan parent in a phone interview after the meeting

questioned why it's taking so long to resolve the problem.

" I'm a little bit concerned that this is September, and we're still

having an issue with this, " said , a 17-year nurse. " It should

have been fixed weeks ago. We knew it was a problem when we first

started school. I guess if enough kids get sick then they'll do

something. "

She also complained that the school is keeping the rooms so cold her

kids have to wear long-sleeve shirts in September.

" That's crazy, " she said.

Clardy said this particular mold is not major health risk, " but it

needs to be resolved as soon as possible. "

Staff about a month ago set up the dehumidifiers as a make-shift

solution while firms examined the mold count and heating and cooling

systems installed within the past year at the three schools.

The firm that examined the systems saw no design flaws and advised

that the humidity problem will improve by setting the equipment to

allow less outside air into the buildings, explained Clardy,

assistant superintendent of engineering and construction.

" Now that we have the independent engineer's report, we'll be

responding, " Clardy said.

Walter Hill Elementary Principal Butch said faculty and

staff have had to clean mold from library books and classroom desks

in particular, and one teacher with asthma has had problems

breathing.

About 21 classrooms have been affected, and the humidity readings

are in the 65 percent range when it ought to be in the 40 percent to

55 percent range, he said.

" We've been fighting a battle, " said. " We're not close to

winning the war. "

In addition to an engineering report about the heating and cooling

systems, the board reviewed a report about the mold count, and it

mentions a problem in the Walter Hill library storage room in

particular.

" The entire floor was wet and had mold growth, " states the report,

adding that a leak may be coming from water pipes within a wall

cavity.

said he hopes the board finds a solution soon, so his

faculty and staff can focus more time on instruction.

" We're still cleaning periodically where we need to, " said

during a Wednesday phone interview. " It doesn't do a whole lot of

good. It's kind of like taking your car and cleaning it and waxing

it and then you're going to take it down a dirt road. "

Originally published September 9, 2005