Mold found at fifth Plainfield school

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Mold found at fifth Plainfield school

By Charla Brautigam

STAFF WRITER

Central Elementary: Past pipe burst is believed to be culprit

PLAINFIELD - Even before starting a series of air-quality tests at all

Plainfield schools, building administrators have discovered mold at a fifth

school.

This time, the mold was found at one of the district's oldest buildings -

Central Elementary School in Plainfield.

The mold was discovered April 6 after administrators asked an

environmental consultant to check an area where water infiltrated the

building during a recent thaw.

While no problems were found there, the consultants did discover mold in a

wall cavity between two lower-level classrooms.

Central Principal DiLeo sent a letter to parents April 11 letting

them know about the discovery.

" We are acting on the advice and under the direction of our hired

consultants and doing everything possible to expedite the cleaning, repair

and resumed usage of the affected areas, " DiLeo wrote in the letter.

She indicated the mold is believed to be the result of a past pipe burst.

It is the fifth school in the Plainfield district to report finding mold.

Last year, mold was discovered at Lakewood Falls Elementary School and

Heritage Grove Middle School in Plainfield.

In March, mold was discovered at the Bonnie McBeth Learning Center and

Plainfield South High School - two of the district's newest facilities.

An environmental consultant was hired to oversee cleanup efforts at each

school.

During his investigation, a contractor error was found to be responsible

for the discovery at Bonnie McBeth while a clogged sink was identified as

the problem at Plainfield South.

Environmental consultants traced the problem at Heritage Grove to a pipe

burst that flooded parts of the building with water two years ago.

And at Lakewood Falls, consultants discovered children were tracking mold

in on their shoes. That problem was remedied by having the cleaning crew

alter its cleaning methods.

Given the number of schools reporting mold problems, school officials

agreed to hire Aires Consulting Group Inc. of Batavia to assess every school

in the district.

The tests are already under way at Heritage Grove Middle School, where

several students and staff members have complained of recurring headaches,

nausea and respiratory illnesses.

Administrators hope to receive the lab results next month, said

Early, principal at Heritage Grove.

When the information is received, it will be shared with all Heritage

Grove families, he added. Aires Consulting has agreed to draft a letter

explaining the findings.

Assistant Superintendent Harper said he hopes to sit down with Aires

consultants later this month to map out a testing schedule for the

district's 17 other schools, including the two elementary schools and one

middle school currently under construction.

Some schools will be tested before the end of the school year while others

will be tested in the fall when students return, he added. There simply

isn't enough time to do all of them.

At Central, where students have complained of the usual maladies, no " red

flags " have appeared, DiLeo said.

" There haven't been any more (illnesses in the lower-level classrooms)

than any other classroom " in the building, she added.

But as a precaution, consultants from Boelter & Yates environmental

company suggested the entire wing where the mold was discovered be isolated

from the rest of the school while the carpet and drywall is removed.

Plastic barriers were erected and students who usually attend class in the

two affected classrooms were moved to the media center and production lab.

Four resource teachers with offices in the wing also were moved to various

locations in the school.

" Everybody is staying real positive, " said DiLeo, who hopes to have

students back in their regular classrooms in a week or so.

" It's not going to be long-term, " she added.

Because no other mold was found in the building, three second-grade

classes that also meet in the lower level were given the OK to continue

meeting there.

" They (the environmental consultants) checked everything and saw nothing, "

DiLeo said. " They were comfortable leaving the students down there. "

Charla Brautigam can be reached at (815) 729-6079 or via e-mail at

cbrautigam@....

04/17/02