West Memorial Elementary School

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WME students won't have to make up days missed, TEA says

April 10, 2002

The Texas Education Agency says West Memorial Elementary School students

will not have to make up the five days of school they missed while waiting

for temporary classrooms to be readied after West Memorial was closed. The

students were kept out of school the week following spring break.

Since March 25, students in kindergarten through fifth grade have been

attending classes at the Cinco Ranch High School Ninth Grade Center.

Pre-kindergarten students were transferred to Nottingham Country Elementary

School. They will remain at the temporary sites for the rest of the school

year. Meanwhile, the Katy ISD Board of Trustees is scheduled to review

proposals for the remediation of mold at West Memorial at its regular

meeting April 22 and may award a contract for the work at that time.

After tests by BAC, Inc. of The Woodlands revealed the presence of several

types of toxic mold, the school was closed down during spring break.

Superintendent Leonard Merrell says all remediation work will be performed

by " outside experts " and that the school should be ready for occupancy by

the time the 2002-2003 school year begins next August.

West Memorial was tested after faculty and students complained of an

uncommon increase in illnesses, ranging from headaches and sore throats to

asthmatic episodes. Merrell has since asked staff members at other district

facilities to see if there have been similar increases in illness among

their teachers and students. Any suspicious buildings will be tested, he

said.

©Katy Sun 2002