Winfield school replaces ceiling after mold found

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September 26, 2008

Winfield school replaces ceiling after mold found

ton Gazette - WV*

By Nett

Staff writer

http://sundaygazettemail.com/News/200809250755

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Maintenance crews at Winfield Elementary School

replaced the ceiling in one of the school's portable classrooms

Thursday, after inspectors found mold in the building.

Brad Hodges, director of administrative services for Putnam County

Schools, said state officials deemed the mold harmless and the

county has already taken measures to remove any trace of the growth.

" We respond as soon as possible, " Hodges said. " In our opinion, all

mold is bad. "

The dime-sized speck of mold was found on Tuesday in the bathroom

ceiling of the portable classroom used for music.

County maintenance crews removed the mold and sealed the area with a

primer that kills mold, at the recommendation of state inspectors,

Hodges said.

" The state department actually wiped it off and told me to seal it,

and they also told me to remove it, " Hodges said. " That's what we

did, and in the process ... we replaced the whole ceiling. "

Hodges said the county brought in inspectors after a parent

complained to the county Board of Education on Monday about possible

mold in the school's library, which is in one of three portables

classrooms at the school.

Inspectors did not find mold in the library, he said.

The growth in the bathroom was caused by a leak in the ceiling near

an exhaust fan, Hodges said. Maintenance crews have repaired the

leak, he said.

The cleanup effort did not disrupt classes, and students have

remained in the building, he said.

" I asked the state department if they wanted me to shut the bathroom

down and they said it was not necessary, " Hodges said.

" There is no reason that the students should not be in there, " said

Liza Cordeiro, spokeswoman for the state Department of Education.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Maintenance crews at Winfield Elementary School

replaced the ceiling in one of the school's portable classrooms

Thursday, after inspectors found mold in the building.

Brad Hodges, director of administrative services for Putnam County

Schools, said state officials deemed the mold harmless and the

county has already taken measures to remove any trace of the growth.

" We respond as soon as possible, " Hodges said. " In our opinion, all

mold is bad. "

The dime-sized speck of mold was found on Tuesday in the bathroom

ceiling of the portable classroom used for music.

County maintenance crews removed the mold and sealed the area with a

primer that kills mold, at the recommendation of state inspectors,

Hodges said.

" The state department actually wiped it off and told me to seal it,

and they also told me to remove it, " Hodges said. " That's what we

did, and in the process ... we replaced the whole ceiling. "

Hodges said the county brought in inspectors after a parent

complained to the county Board of Education on Monday about possible

mold in the school's library, which is in one of three portables

classrooms at the school.

Inspectors did not find mold in the library, he said.

The growth in the bathroom was caused by a leak in the ceiling near

an exhaust fan, Hodges said. Maintenance crews have repaired the

leak, he said.

The cleanup effort did not disrupt classes, and students have

remained in the building, he said.

" I asked the state department if they wanted me to shut the bathroom

down and they said it was not necessary, " Hodges said.

" There is no reason that the students should not be in there, " said

Liza Cordeiro, spokeswoman for the state Department of Education.

" If there were a major problem, " Cordeiro said, " they would have

been out by now. "

This week, inspectors also checked Hurricane Middle School for any

traces or mold, Hodges said. None was found.

" I received a phone call from a lady who's son has been sick and

asked if we would check the classrooms, Hodges said. " It came up

clear. We checked five or six classrooms plus the restrooms. "

About a year ago, county maintenance crews replaced the roof of one

of the portable classrooms at Winfield Elementary School to repair a

leak.

" We had a roof leak - no mold, " Hodges said. " We went down and

repaired it and we called the state department. "

Cordeiro said the incident " was very minor. "

She said for the most part, Putnam County " does a really good job "

of being aggressive and following through on these types of

incidents.

The mold found in the Winfield school comes as parents and

environmental officials at Middle School in Kanawha

County clash over problems with mold and dust in the building.

Bruce Bray, a parent at Winfield Elementary School, said he's

impressed with Putnam County's quick response to address the mold

and concerns brought up my parents.

He said, however, he still has reservations about his children's

safety given the age of some of the portable classrooms.

Bray asked school board members on Monday to either replace portable

classrooms at Winfield Elementary or spend more money to maintain

them.

Reach Nett at veroni...@... or 348-5113.