Heated Meeting on King’s Highway Mold at Town Hall

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Heated Meeting on King's Highway Mold at Town Hall

Westport Now - Westport,CT*

By Alvkall

http://www.westportnow.com/index.php?/v2/comments/17737/

It was a heated meeting Wednesday night at Westport Town Hall as

many parents expressed anger and concern about the air quality at

King's Highway Elementary School.

So many Westporters showed up that the meeting first scheduled for

room 309 had to be moved to the Town Hall auditorium.

n Reilly, a concerned parent who has two children at the

school, was upset that his son's asthma has worsened due to what he

said was mold in his classroom.

" Fourteen out of 19 children in one classroom have symptoms, " Reilly

said. " The sickness of these children is the most important thing. "

He added there is testing that indicated a mold problem that goes

back at least to 1997 and a history of teachers complaining.

Another parent, Bill Pecorellio, said he wants additional testing of

the entire school.

" We want our own independent expert, and regain our trust, " he said.

Pecorellio said his number one priority is the kids, that he wants

to know the history of this problem, and that parents will pay for

more testing if necessary.

" Money is not the issue, " Pecorellio said.

n Heyman, an industrial hygienist at the Connecticut Department

of Public Health who walked through the school earlier in the day,

said every carpet has mold.

" If you gotta smell it, find the source and get rid of it, " Heyman

said.

According to Heyman, the recommended ventilation guideline is 800

parts per million (ppm) of carbon dioxide. A report from May 2007

indicates carbon dioxide levels higher than 1,000 ppm in 17 of 24

classrooms total at the school.

Reilly asked Heyman why no more testing is being done, and she

replied that improved communication is needed among parents, the

Board of Education, and Sue Jacozzi, director of Weston Westport

Health District.

Reilly said that the existence of Stachybotrys,

Aspergillus/Pennicillium molds has been documented by independent

testing companies in multiple areas of King's Highway since October

2001.

Heyman said, " Follow up on ventilation issues, follow up on carbon

monoxide results from May 2007, avoid unnecessary testing, continue

with carpet removal, and improve communication..

" The carpets have been removed from the classrooms, so no more

concerns about that, " Heyman said.

Foscue, another specialist with the state Department of

Public Health, said the health of the children was the most

important thing.

" The nosebleeds could be related to a number of sources, " Foscue

said.

Ann Dinshaw, a parent, said her children have spent years at the

school without knowing that there was mold in the classrooms.

" It's been years of not being told what to look for, " Dinshaw said.

Foscue said Schools Superintendent Elliott Landon had committed to

implementing the " Tools for Schools " air quality program that has

been successful in reducing similar problems at many schools in the

state and across the country.

According to Foscue, for example in Chester, yearly asthma-related

office visits decreased from 463 before the program to 82 after its

implementation over a four-year period.

First Selectman Gordon loff said, " We will do what we have to do

to make the school safe. "

He said this was a commitment and he will work collaboratively with

the parents and superintendent to get the job done.

loff pledged to include an air quality expert endorsed by the

parents in a committee of citizens, and town and school officials to

tackle the air quality issues.

Landon said, " We are the only school district in the state which

voluntarily tests the whole school. We will work closely and do our

best to make sure the kids are safe. "

A demolition of a " pod, " a temporary structure at the school where

mold has been found, is planned, and Landon said he is prepared to

have it removed.

(For more information on the issue visit www.KHScleanair.org)