Gentry School Board members hear about health issues

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Gentry School Board members hear about health issues

By Randy Moll Staff Writer // randym@...

Gentry, NW Arkansas

Posted on Sunday, October 14, 2007

NWAnews.com

http://www.nwanews.com/bcdr/News/54522/

GENTRY — Concerns about a leaking roof, air quality and mold were

shared with the Gentry School Board on Oct. 8 by Superintendent Dr.

Randy Barrett.

A parent called the health department with concerns about the

possibility of mold in the main portion of the Gentry Intermediate

School, Barrett told the board, adding that parents should be

watching out for the welfare of their children.

Matt Hicks, a representative from the Arkansas Department of Health

visited the school and inspected the school and was more concerned

with classroom ventilation and carbon dioxide levels than with mold,

said Barrett. Hicks suggested improving classroom ventilation to

reduce carbon dioxide levels, possibly by running the school's

heating and air conditioning system and opening doors.

Barrett told council members that the district wanted " a second

opinion " to be sure there were no health risks for the children and

hired an independent firm from ville which had done work for

Northwest Arkansas Community College to come out and do more

extensive testing. The district was awaiting this more comprehensive

report, Barrett said, so that the school would know if there were

any health and safety problems which the school district needed to

address and how best to address such problems.

" We haven't turn a blind eye on this, " Barrett said. We're taking

appropriate action. We've paid for an independent study to find out

if there is a problem, " he said.

Barrett did tell board members that the school district would have

to replace the roof on the main portion of the intermediate school

building to stop the leak problems at the school. The possibility of

seeking a short-term loan to fix the roof was mentioned, saying that

he would better know the district's financial position and costs to

repair the roof by the November meeting of the board, when November

tax revenues are received.

A report prepared by Hicks states: " Because of previous water leaks

in the building, an issue of concern among some of the teachers and

children's parents was the possibility that mold growth in the

indoor environment was causing them to be ill. Based on my

observations, it is my opinion that a majority of the health

complaints are not caused by mold contamination in the indoor

environment. There may be certain individuals among the faculty or

students who are allergic to mold just as there are those who are

allergic to pollen or animal dander. These persons may exhibit hay

fever-like allergic symptoms when exposed to even very low

concentrations of mold spores...

" The appearance of stains on the brick or ceiling tiles where a

leak occurred does not necessarily indicate the presence of mold

contamination. These stains remain after the building materials are

dried and do not increase in size or density. There was no evidence

of mold growth on the walls or ductwork in the areas above the drop

ceilings...

" It is my opinion that the adverse health and comfort complaints of

the teachers and students are the result of intermittent periods of

inadequate ventilation in some of the classrooms... "

Hicks went on to cite carbon dioxide measurements he had taken in

the classrooms and recommended setting the heating and air

conditioning controls to a consistent temperature and letting the

units run to circulate air. He suggested vents in the doors to allow

air to circulate out of classrooms if the doors cannot be left open

during classes.