Denair Elementary School school has mold problems

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Denair school has mold problems

February 15, 2002 Posted: 07:05:04 AM PST

By PATRICK GIBLIN

BEE STAFF WRITER

DENAIR -- A mold emergency is pushing children out of four classrooms at

Denair Elementary School and into portables at the high school.

School officials suspect the problem stems from rare snowfall. It came in

January and amounted to less than an inch. But it piled up in the crevices

of V-shaped roofs atop the elementary school's 50-year-old buildings. In at

least one wing, the snowmelt dripped onto ceiling tiles.

Air samples from the wing revealed 10 different kinds of mold after a

teacher became sick with allergies. A check of children's absences in rooms

5 through 8 showed no spike in illnesses, according to school officials.

" The mold discovered was not the black mold that's made the news for making

people sick, but rather is mold commonly found in most homes in the valley, "

said Parraz, superintendent of the Denair Unified School District.

He and other school officials met Thursday night with about 20 parents in

the school library to discuss the transfer of 80 second- and third-graders

to the high school. The move is necessary to give work crews time to find

the mold, clean it, and make ceiling and roof repairs.

" I think the school district is handling this well and has taken all the

proper steps, " said , a parent of one of the students being

moved.

A letter sent home Tuesday announced the evacuation of rooms 5 through 8.

The children attended class in those rooms Wednesday and Thursday, and they

are off today and Monday for the Presidents' Day holiday.

Starting Tuesday, they will be in the portables at Denair High School,

directly behind the elementary school. The four high school classrooms were

vacated recently in anticipation of being moved to the elementary campus by

the end of the school year.

School officials believe the students will be at the high school for only a

matter of weeks, but the district is prepared to keep the children there

through the end of the year, Parraz told parents.

" If there's any good news in this, it's that the mold remediation people

told us the mold growth is not that bad and easily cleanable, " he said.

Work crews will remove ceiling tiles, inspect them and use special equipment

to track down any mold growing in the building. Roof repairs also will be

made, and inspectors will look for wood rot.

School employees will start emptying the four classrooms today, moving

desks, computer equipment and boxes of supplies to the high school rooms.

" The teachers are giving up their (holiday) vacation time for this move, "

said , principal of the elementary school.

The dislocated students will still go to the elementary school each morning

to start their day with the flag salute. Then they will be taken by bus to

the high school.

The elementary students will have their own bathroom, and they will be in

class when high school students are out and about. The younger children will

eat lunch and take their recesses at the elementary school.

" We want to make sure these students can still see their friends every day

and socialize with other kids their age, " Parraz said.

School officials reassured parents that children would not get lost on the

high school campus. School employees will escort the youngsters to and from

their classrooms.

A campus supervisor will be available to escort students who are late to

school or who have to leave early for other commitments.

It was not known what the total cost of cleanup and repair will be. But

school officials believe they can pay for it with part of an $8.2 million

school bond measure approved by voters last year.

New roofs for school buildings are among the bond money's specified uses,

Parraz said.

During the rest of the school year, air samples will continue to be taken in

the affected wing and in other classrooms where there may be problems,

Parraz said.

In addition, maintenance workers will be trained on how to clean for mold in

classrooms.

Thursday night, parents learned of one immediate change: The cleaning staff

will start wiping down classrooms with a solution that uses 10 percent

bleach.