Middlebury parents demanding results to school mold problem

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Middlebury parents demanding results to school mold problem

Tuesday, November 8, 2005

BY MARRECCA FIORE

http://www.rep-am.com/story.php?id=29967

MIDDLEBURY -- Parents of seventh-graders who attend Memorial Middle

School are taking little comfort in the school district's efforts to

rid the building of mold.

Since the beginning of the year, Region 15 officials have been

battling a mold problem in the seventh-grade wing, which is one of

the oldest wings in the building.

Superintendent H. Sippy said Monday the district, which serves

Southbury and Middlebury students, has made significant progress in

solving the mold problem.

Nonetheless, the problem has persisted in several classrooms, and

the seventh-grade wing has been sealed off since the beginning of

the school year. Seventh-graders are without lockers and permanent

classrooms.

" The problem is getting better, not worse, " Sippy said. " We're

finding and learning more information every day. "

But the progress is too slow for parents, said Middlebury resident

House, whose daughter is a seventh-grader at the

middle school.

" They're telling us the reading levels are getting better, but the

wing is sealed off. My daughter's math class is being held on a

stage in the gymnasium with gym classes going on, and her desk is a

music stand, " she said.

Sippy said the school has removed carpeting and tile. Workers have

laid down new tile, and are continuing to sanitize rooms. He said

the hallway carpeting will be removed during the holidays.

" We would love to do it sooner, but we have to do an asbestos

abatement and seal everything off, making sure nothing gets into the

air. "

Recently, the school has put up shelving in the cafeteria for

students to use as temporary lockers. Prior to that, the students

were carrying around fully loaded backpacks, House said.

" Her backpack weighed more than 50 pounds, " she said of her

daughter. " She would come home at night and I'd have to rub Ben Gay

on her back, she's 12-years-old. "

Sippy said the lengthy process is necessary to eliminate the

problem.

" Students and faculty are doing their best under the circumstances, "

he said. " We can't expect them to stay in this situation forever. We

want to understand what is causing the moisture in the air so we can

prevent this from happening in the future . . . I don't think any of

us wants to re-live this situation again. "

Sippy said he hopes to have seventh graders back in their wing

before the holidays.