Possible mold continues to concern school officials

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Possible mold continues to concern school officials

The Daily Advertiser - Lafayette,LA

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Ensuring that campuses do not become a haven for mold in hot, humid

summer months means the district must run air conditioning systems,

which results in little savings on utilities for unoccupied

buildings.

" During the summer, we save a little because we reduce run time (for

air conditioners), but we do not shut them off in the summer, " said

Bordelon, acting maintenance and facilities director. " We still

have to keep those systems up and running. "

The district spends more than $4.5 million each year on utilities,

including natural gas, electricity, water and sewer.

The maintenance of Lafayette Parish school buildings is not the only

concern for maintenance staff, who had to deal with how the school

environment can affect health this year after a potentially harmful

mold was found on one campus.

Questions about how well schools were maintained to prevent mold

growth came to light after some children became ill and mold was

found at Plantation Elementary School.

Some Plantation parents demanded the district test and clean the

entire school. The cost of cleaning and testing totaled more than

$85,000 and closed the school for two days.

School Board member Greg Awbrey said he learned of the mold problem

years before running for office, when his wife went to help prepare

classrooms at S.J. Montgomery Elementary before classes began.

" In classrooms at S.J. Montgomery, underneath the desks, mold was

growing, mold was growing on cork boards, walls, on the desks, " he

said.