Video-Air quality tests show little mold problem at Ventana Vista Elementary

[Guest guest]

News 4 Investigators follow-up

a Heartquist Reports

KVOA.com - Tucson,AZ

Air quality tests show little mold problem at Ventana Vista

Elementary

Jan 19, 2007 08:40 AM EST

http://kvoa.com/Global/story.asp?S=5961208 & nav=HMO6

Now to a story The News 4 Investigators have been following for

nearly six months.

Long-time mold complaints at Ventana Vista Elementary School.

Employees say there have been ongoing mold complaints at the school

for years.

After we agreed to protect their identities, more and more teachers

stepped forward to talk to us.

After numerous requests for an interview, Associate Superintendent

Terry Downey finally agreed to talk to us.

She told The News 4 Investigators the school was safe and they were

taking steps to address the teacher complaints.

At that time, we were we waiting for the official air quality test

results at the school.

Now, News 4 has the results from the tests provided by the district.

According to one expert, the school had some issues but they did not

appear to be serious and the school was safe.

Teachers who work in the school every day still have concerns.

" I'm not satisfied because I don't trust what they've done because

they didn't come out in the first place and try to take care of the

mess. I'm already doubtful. "

District employees met to talk with News 4 about the paperwork, as

long as we agree to conceal their identities, once again.

News 4 obtained the air quality and mold test results from the

Catalina Foothills School District office.

We told the Catalina Foothills School District that we were planning

a follow-up story.

We asked Associate Superintendent, Terry Downey for another

interview.

Her secretary called us back and said she was not interested.

So we gave an independent party, Dr. Mark Sneller, a Microbiologist

with a specialty in Medical Mycology, a copy of the report to see

what all the numbers on the spreadsheets really mean.

" Basically, I didn't see a lot going on in there, " he said.

Sneller said that while there were traces of potentially harmful

molds like stachybotrys, penicillium and aspergillus, the spore

counts were low compared to what they were outside.

" And we did see some cases where there were elevated counts indoors,

spore counts of different but they sort of mirrored the cross

section of what was outside. "

Did he see any " red flag " areas?

" There might have been one or two areas out of all the tests, one or

two areas that might need a little further work, " he said.

But the employee who works in the building every day says she's

concerned that the mold will worsen.

" I think our school district is trying to protect their reputation

and that the only reason that they're addressing the mold is because

of you, of KVOA. I believe that... and I think many people believe

that, " the employee said.

We'll continue to check in with our sources and if there's anything

more to report we'll let you know.