Mold forces Head Start students to find other quarters

[Guest guest]

12/02/05

Mold forces Head Start students to find other quarters

http://www.sun-herald.com/NewsArchive2/120205/tp5np5.htm?

date=120205 & story=tp5np5.htm

Charlotte,FL

NORTH PORT -- Nineteen North Port Head Start students are being

ousted by mold in their classroom, parents were told Thursday.

The Head Start program, which is run by Children First, had been

using a portable classroom at Glenallen Elementary School. Recent

test results, however, show that mold continues to affect the

portable classroom, prompting Children First officials to seek other

options for the children.

Head Start is a federal program serving children ages 2 months to 5

years old. The program prepares children of low-income families for

school.

Officials with Children First, the agency that administers the Head

Start program in North Port, first noticed a musty odor and excess

dampness in the portable classroom in October. Contractors replaced

the floor tiles and installed new carpeting. The walls, floors,

fixtures and other surfaces were also washed with a bleach solution.

Air-conditioning ducts were cleaned. These measures cost $3,500.

Afterward, the children returned to the classroom. According to

Children First Executive Director Philip Tavill, everything seemed

fine for a few weeks, but the moldy odor came back.

Environmental Safety Consultants, Inc., a certified testing firm,

was hired to conduct additional sampling. The testing firm told

Tavill by phone this week that, according to the latest test

results, mold is still there.

The amount of mold, Tavill was told, is not enough to keep children

out of the classroom.

" It's not an unsafe level of mold, " said Tavill. " But the testing

firm is recommending that we do some additional work. "

That additional work includes further testing. The process of

getting the necessary samples would interfere with the children's

activities, so Children First decided to find alternative places for

the Head Start children.

Several parents expressed concern over the mold levels. Even though

the levels are reported to be safe, one mother said she has had to

take her daughter to the hospital twice already. Other parents said

their children have come home coughing and wheezing, or with skin

rashes.

Tavill told parents that until the mold problem is resolved, there

are other programs their children can attend, including Head Start

programs at Trinity, Englewood, Loveland (Venice), an Island Village

Montesorri, or families can have a home-based program.

" We want to minimize the inconvenience to parents and families, "

Tavill said. " We are considering that some parents may have

transportation problems getting their kids to these alternate

programs, or that their work schedules might not match the hours at

those other places. That's why I called the parents together for

this meeting, to let them know what's going on. "

The alternative solutions will be temporary because the North Port

Head Start program could soon have its own building.

Tavill said Children First has three acres of land on Pan American

Boulevard and construction of the structure, previously delayed, is

expected to start in January.

" The problem was that we had some wetlands on the land that had to

be addressed, " Tavill said. " We already had a permit from the

Southwest Florida Water Management District, but when the wetlands

were found, we had to do additional reviews. "

As a result, Children First had to change its site plans, which

required a new permit from the water management district. Tavill

expects to meet with the city of North Port on Dec 6. to present

and, he hopes, get approval of the revised plans so construction can

start.

Meanwhile, there is the question of how much effort and money should

be put into the portable classroom. It may not be worth saving the

portable unit because the new building should be ready by fall of

2006, Tavill said.

" Once the new building is done, " Tavill said, " we planned to use the

portable unit for storage. But if it's too full of mold or it costs

too much to fix it, there might be no point in trying to use it. "

In 2003, some parents of Glenallen students complained that their

children were becoming sick because of mold at the school. Tests

found damp ceiling tiles in some classrooms and increased levels of

carbon dioxide, which could mean there is not enough oxygen in the

air.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, mold

can cause children and adults with asthma or other respiratory

diseases to have severe reactions. People with immune suppression

may be at increased risk for infection, the CDC says.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, mold can

cause " headaches, breathing difficulties, skin irritation, allergic

reactions and aggravation of asthma symptoms. "

Anne Klockenkemper contributed to this story.

You can e-mail Hoffman at shoffman@....

By SUSAN E. HOFFMAN

North Port Assistant Editor

[Guest guest]

Childrens programs like Head Start have proven to be the very best possible

bang for the buck in educational expenditures. The difference in a child's

life that emotional and educational support during that early childhood

period (4-7 years) - the years the normal ego is forming - makes is

incredible.

Children who don't have it (emotionally available adults - and emotional

security) during those years often end up as emotionally disturbed adults.

They can't feel empathy or love normally.

For example, many people who don't have a stable situation in those years

end up having narcissistic personality disorder - they don't have a

functioning conscience and are often compulsive liars.

They don;t understand that its not 'all about them' and their needs..

These are the people we are all fighting!

So lets hope that that Head Start program finds a new home.. fast!

On 12/2/05, tigerpaw2c <tigerpaw2c@...> wrote:

>

> 12/02/05

> Mold forces Head Start students to find other quarters

>

> http://www.sun-herald.com/NewsArchive2/120205/tp5np5.htm?

> date=120205 & story=tp5np5.htm

>

> Charlotte,FL

>

> NORTH PORT -- Nineteen North Port Head Start students are being

> ousted by mold in their classroom, parents were told Thursday.

>

> The Head Start program, which is run by Children First, had been

> using a portable classroom at Glenallen Elementary School. Recent

> test results, however, show that mold continues to affect the

> portable classroom, prompting Children First officials to seek other

> options for the children.

>

> Head Start is a federal program serving children ages 2 months to 5

> years old. The program prepares children of low-income families for

> school.

>

> Officials with Children First, the agency that administers the Head

> Start program in North Port, first noticed a musty odor and excess

> dampness in the portable classroom in October. Contractors replaced

> the floor tiles and installed new carpeting. The walls, floors,

> fixtures and other surfaces were also washed with a bleach solution.

> Air-conditioning ducts were cleaned. These measures cost $3,500.

>

> Afterward, the children returned to the classroom. According to

> Children First Executive Director Philip Tavill, everything seemed

> fine for a few weeks, but the moldy odor came back.

>

> Environmental Safety Consultants, Inc., a certified testing firm,

> was hired to conduct additional sampling. The testing firm told

> Tavill by phone this week that, according to the latest test

> results, mold is still there.

>

> The amount of mold, Tavill was told, is not enough to keep children

> out of the classroom.

>

> " It's not an unsafe level of mold, " said Tavill. " But the testing

> firm is recommending that we do some additional work. "

>

> That additional work includes further testing. The process of

> getting the necessary samples would interfere with the children's

> activities, so Children First decided to find alternative places for

> the Head Start children.

>

> Several parents expressed concern over the mold levels. Even though

> the levels are reported to be safe, one mother said she has had to

> take her daughter to the hospital twice already. Other parents said

> their children have come home coughing and wheezing, or with skin

> rashes.

>

> Tavill told parents that until the mold problem is resolved, there

> are other programs their children can attend, including Head Start

> programs at Trinity, Englewood, Loveland (Venice), an Island Village

> Montesorri, or families can have a home-based program.

>

> " We want to minimize the inconvenience to parents and families, "

> Tavill said. " We are considering that some parents may have

> transportation problems getting their kids to these alternate

> programs, or that their work schedules might not match the hours at

> those other places. That's why I called the parents together for

> this meeting, to let them know what's going on. "

>

> The alternative solutions will be temporary because the North Port

> Head Start program could soon have its own building.

>

> Tavill said Children First has three acres of land on Pan American

> Boulevard and construction of the structure, previously delayed, is

> expected to start in January.

>

> " The problem was that we had some wetlands on the land that had to

> be addressed, " Tavill said. " We already had a permit from the

> Southwest Florida Water Management District, but when the wetlands

> were found, we had to do additional reviews. "

>

> As a result, Children First had to change its site plans, which

> required a new permit from the water management district. Tavill

> expects to meet with the city of North Port on Dec 6. to present

> and, he hopes, get approval of the revised plans so construction can

> start.

>

> Meanwhile, there is the question of how much effort and money should

> be put into the portable classroom. It may not be worth saving the

> portable unit because the new building should be ready by fall of

> 2006, Tavill said.

>

> " Once the new building is done, " Tavill said, " we planned to use the

> portable unit for storage. But if it's too full of mold or it costs

> too much to fix it, there might be no point in trying to use it. "

>

> In 2003, some parents of Glenallen students complained that their

> children were becoming sick because of mold at the school. Tests

> found damp ceiling tiles in some classrooms and increased levels of

> carbon dioxide, which could mean there is not enough oxygen in the

> air.

>

> According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, mold

> can cause children and adults with asthma or other respiratory

> diseases to have severe reactions. People with immune suppression

> may be at increased risk for infection, the CDC says.

>

> According to the Environmental Protection Agency, mold can

> cause " headaches, breathing difficulties, skin irritation, allergic

> reactions and aggravation of asthma symptoms. "

>

> Anne Klockenkemper contributed to this story.

>

> You can e-mail Hoffman at shoffman@....

>

>

> By SUSAN E. HOFFMAN

>

> North Port Assistant Editor

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> FAIR USE NOTICE:

>

>

>