Heritage Grove Middle School results concern parent - Principal downplays mold worry

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Principal downplays mold worry

By Britt Carson

STAFF WRITER

Plainfield school: Positive test results concern parent

PLAINFIELD - A middle school in the Plainfield School District tested

positive for low and moderate amounts of mold, and one parent is concerned

about the health implications for students and staff.

Random samples were taken from Heritage Grove Middle School, 12450 S. Van

Dyke Road, for environmental testing during Christmas break. The results

indicated moderate levels of mold present in six samples, said Principal

Mike Early. Forty-four other samples had low amounts of mold, he added.

However, Early was confident the mold was not a threat to the students or

staff.

" A moderate amount is what you would expect to find in the environment, "

Early said. " The building is not sterile, and to think that is an

unrealistic expectation. "

All the areas where mold was detected were cleaned, he said, but there has

been no follow-up testing.

Discovered in fall

Problems started in the fall when mold was discovered on the exterior

walls behind more than 30 bulletin boards. In October, Early sent a letter

home to parents about the problems and said all the walls were cleaned and

the bulletin boards were either cleaned or thrown out.

Administrators decided to conduct further tests after several teachers and

students came down with respiratory illnesses, Early said.

" We had a few reports of teacher and student illnesses, and it got to the

point where we thought it might carry over to something here, " Early said.

According to the report from Bain Environmental, an environmental company

hired by the district, random samples were taken from air vents, carpet,

ceiling tiles and insulation throughout the school. Although there are no

governmental regulations on the amount of mold that is acceptable, industry

standards list low and moderate amounts of mold spores simply as " background

levels. "

Ami , whose two sons attend the middle school, said they started

having problems in September. Shortly after one of her sons was told by his

doctor he had outgrown his allergies, he started having chronic sinus

infections.

" Then got a chronic cough that was so bad it makes him start gagging and

he throws up, " said. " At first we thought it was something in our

house, but we only moved here two years ago when the house was built. "

said she talked with an environmental company about the possibility

of mold in their home, but none was found. Even after the bulletin boards

were removed, her children continued to get sick from everything from sinus

infections to severe asthma attacks that required emergency room trips.

She said it got to the point where her sons would get better over the

weekends while they were at home, but as soon as they returned to school,

their conditions worsened.

" I think it is just deteriorating their immune systems, " said.

No epidemic

Although Early is sympathetic to the illnesses, he isn't convinced their

problems are from mold in the school.

" People's immune systems react differently to things, " Early said. " We do

have some kids, about six, and two or three teachers that are ill. So far we

have no evidence to suggest the building is the cause of that. "

About 1,200 students attend Heritage Grove and attendance has been

consistent at 94 percent for the entire year.

" We are not seeing an epidemic, " Early said.

He said the school has shared the environmental report with the sick

students and teachers and he encouraged them to take it to their physicians

to see if anything is related.

The types of mold that were most commonly found were cladosporium,

alternaria, aspergillus and penicillium. According to the environmental

report, cladosporium and penicillium can cause extrinsic asthma and acute

symptoms include edema and bronchiospasms, chronic cases may develop

pulmonary emphysema.

Alternaria produces large spores that have been associated with

hypersensitivity pneumoniti, sinusitis and the other symptoms associated

with cladosporium.

More testing

is now fighting to get further environmental testing done at the

school to check the indoor air quality and to make sure all the mold is

gone.

" I think more kids are sick, their parents just aren't putting two and two

together yet, " said.

The school has not notified all the parents at Heritage Grove about the

mold. Early said they are working with Bain Environmental on a letter to

explain the results to parents. However, they don't have a time frame on

when the letter will be sent out.

At this time, the school does not plan on any follow-up testing.

" We are not trying to hide anything, we are trying to put together a good

summary of the results, " Early said. " We're taking proactive steps and don't

think any of the mold will be returning. I think we did a good job. "

Plainfield School Board member Rom Kazmer said he is aware of the

situation.

" I am satisfied with the technical results, but if kids still continue to

get sick, that concerns us and maybe we can continue other measures to get

to the bottom of this, " Kazmer said. " The levels of mold found are in most

people's homes. "

Early said he has talked with the Illinois Department of Public Health and

they also concurred further testing was not needed.

Early didn't want to downplay the illnesses, but said there is still no

link between the illnesses and the mold in the school.

" Yes we do have a few kids that are sick, but so do a lot of schools this

time of year, " Early said. " Why are they sick? We don't know. "

He said copies of the environmental report are available by calling the

school. Britt Carson can be reached at (815) 729-6172 or via e-mail at

bcarson@....

02/16/02