Grasso Tech Closing After Mold Is Found

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Grasso Tech Closing After Mold Is Found

TheDay - New London,CT

By Warchut

http://www.theday.com/re.aspx?re=8f5f9a29-102d-4517-856d-

1ad99ab98c75

Groton — The discovery of mold at Ella T. Grasso Regional Vocational-

Technical School prompted the school to close Thursday through

Monday to conduct air-quality testing.

Principal Kerry Bell said the school's 626 students knew by the end

of the day Wednesday that school would be cancelled, after air

quality testing that day revealed a need to complete more tests.

" Canceling school just means we want to know what's going on, and we

want to know now, " she said.

Bell said clearing the building will ensure that no one is exposed

to the mold while contractors are moving things around.

Tom , a spokesman for the state's technical high schools, said

they don't know yet whether the mold is harmful. Though there have

been some complaints in the past about upper-respiratory problems,

he said, tests have turned out negative.

The problem lies in the 30-year-old building, said. It has an

older, closed HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning)

system that is failing.

Contractors are checking ceiling tiles and air passages, and looking

for sources of moisture, whether it's condensation from the HVAC

system or an actual leak, said.

The state will decide Monday whether students can return to school

Tuesday. As part of the school's emergency plan, said the

state can use Norwich Technical High School for space if needed.

Bell said the school is simply aging, with buckets to catch water in

the drafting department. Tuesday, an exhaust fan in the culinary

department malfunctioned and caused a smoke evacuation, she said.

" If (people) walk in our building, they know we have issues, " she

said. " Our maintenance staff has kept us up and running. "

Grasso is one of the state's 17 technical schools that are slated

for renovations. said Manchester is finished, while the first

phase currently includes schools in Waterbury, Hartford, Danbury,

Norwich and New Britain.

Grasso is in the third phase, which could be slated for as late as

2010. He said the plans have not yet reached the design phase.

Depending on the result of the mold testing, he said, those plans

may have to be reconsidered.

Bell was planning to send a phone message to all students to give

them updates, and said all news would be posted on the school Web

site at www.cttech.org/grasso.

k.warchut@...