Parents Rally in Hunts Pt. Over Mold Found in School

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http://www.nydailynews.com/2002-03-22/News_and_Views/City_Beat/a-145150.asp

Friday, March 22, 2002

Parents Rally in Hunts Pt. Over Mold Found in School

By BILL EGBERT

Daily News Staff Writer

arents and students at a South Bronx school are demanding action after air

quality tests showed elevated levels of mold they fear is making students

and teachers sick.

The Board of Education disputed the hazard claims, but said it would work to

clear up the mold.

Displaying photographs of damp and deteriorating ceiling tiles, moldy vents

and mildewed walls, parents rallied outside the Hunts Point building, which

houses Middle School 201, Intermediate School 74, Borough Academy and the

New School for Arts and Sciences.

" I'm not asking for the school to be shut down, " said Carmen Maldonado, the

Parents Association president for one of the high schools. " But we want it

to get cleaned up. "

The school board sent inspectors to the school last year and concluded that

though the building, at 730 Ave., suffered from poor maintenance, air

quality was not a problem.

" We did find vermin in the cafeteria, " said Board spokesman Ortiz. But

after consultation with the Department of Health, he said, the board

determined that air quality was not the issue.

In response, in January parents hired an independent technician, ce

Molloy, to test the air inside the school for mold spores. Molloy reported

that while healthy indoor air at the school would be expected to show only

about 10 aspergillus or penicillium spores in each testing unit, the spore

traps inside certain rooms at the school showed five to 12 times that

amount.

One classroom showed more than 100 spores in the testing unit, and the

cafeteria showed the highest level - with 128 spores in the trap.

" That's about the equivalent of living in a house with a moldy basement, "

said Molloy.

Some species of the molds detected - aspergillus and penicillium - are known

to trigger asthma attacks. Hunts Point has one of the highest asthma rates

in the nation.

" I have asthma, and it really affects me, " said student Bernard White, 15.

" I'm on so many medications right now because of this. And I've missed

classes because I'm down in the nurse's room with an attack. "

Another student, Cross, 16, said the problem is not only asthma

attacks, but nausea and headaches from a foul odor in the most-affected

rooms.

" It kind of smells like rotten eggs and mayonnaise, " Cross said.

The Board called the problems a " custodial issue " that can be cleared up

with better maintenance.

" We're going to do a thorough cleaning of the school over the upcoming

break, " said Ortiz.

" We're going to replace the stained ceiling tiles. We're going to have an

exterminator come in. And we're going out to check the school's garbage

facility today. "