School may be causing illnesses

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School may be causing illnesses

By Huckaby, Standard-Journal writer

WATSONTOWN -- Is a " sick " school in the Warrior Run School District causing

an inordinate number of cancers and other illnesses?

Three cases of breast cancer have been diagnosed at the town

Elementary School in the past seven months and teachers and the principal

there are concerned about other health problems including asthma, attention

deficit disorder and respiratory infections.

There are 375 students at the school. There is professional and support

staff of 56, 53 of which are women.

The school board is taking quick action to determine what might be causing

the problems. At last night's meeting, the board agreed to have two retired

environmental specialists tour the building and recommend what the next step

will be in determining if the illnesses are being caused by some sort of

environmental problem.

During the board meeting Monday night, building principal J. Welteroth

said teachers and staff in the building are concerned about the health

problems and that they may be at risk.

" We're not saying it's the building, but we want to find out, " Debbie

, one of the teachers at the school said.

said there also had been seven or eight hysterectomies and that the

air quality is poor at the school. " There is a lot of mold and you have that

smell all the time, " she said.

Welteroth, and another teacher, Judy Criswell, emphasized they are

not critical of the school administration and school board and the way they

have dealt with the problem.

They said Superintendent Norman and business manager

s took quick action when informed of the problems. Air quality survey

forms were distributed by Volz Environmental Services of Pittsburgh. The

board last night turned down a proposal from that firm to perform an indoor

air quality survey at the school.

Shupp, president of Warrior Run Education Association, said she did

some investigation on her own and suggested that two area men, Todd

and Jim Stagerwalt, who formerly worked for Stuart Todd and Associates of

King of Prussia, inspect the school and make suggestions to the board on

what should be done next. The King of Prussia firm deals in environmental

problems.

, school board president, said the board was informed of the

situation by the administration about 10 days ago. He said the board wants

to determine what might be causing the problem.

Shupp said she appreciated the speed by which the administration and board

have acted on the problem.