UPDATED: Mold Testing Ordered Middle No. 2

COURT HOUSE — Pink painted ceilings don’t seem to be able to contain the black stains seeping through from what appears to be a proliferation of mold in Elementary No. 2.
According to parents who contacted the Herald, the black stains can be found on ceilings, beneath paper towel dispensers and on classroom air vents.
“There are kids in the school who are sick,” said a parent who asked to remain anonymous.
Mold in school is nothing new to the district. A mold problem in Elementary No. 1 caused quite a stir in the school community.
District custodial staff members found themselves cleaning up mold in No. 1 in early December. At that time, school Superintendent Michael Kopakowski told the Herald the prob-lem had been addressed .
“This is something that, when it occurs, we take very seriously” Kopakowski said in a Dec. 7 interview with this paper.
More mold was found after the cleaning, necessitating an air-quality control company and a mold remediation team to come to the school to conduct a clean up. The cost to the district for remediation and air testing of Elementary No. 1 was $122,000. To date, the source of the mold has not been identified.
At a Jan. 6 special meeting of the board of education to discuss the cleanup in Elementary No. 1, Kopakowski was asked if the district’s other three buildings would be inspected. He replied that he was not aware of any mold problems in buildings other than Elementary No. 1.
“Parents who have questions can call me,” said the superintendent. Parents, however, are afraid of retribution if they call.
“Do you think if we call the superintendent, they’re not going to take it out on our kids”? asked the parent.
According to a parent, dehumidifiers placed in the classroom to help with moisture problems are unplugged because they are too loud and interfere with the learning process.
The mold problem is not limited to specific classrooms. Parents have stated they have seen mold on ceiling tiles in the cafeteria.
“It appears that there was an attempt to clean it,” said the parent. “But it proved unsuccessful. A staff member told me the administration brought in an environmental specialist and it’s not mold; it’s rust,” said the parent. “And it’s perfectly safe to be in there.”
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency states molds have the potential to cause health problems. “Inhaling or touching mold or mold spores may cause allergic reactions in sensi-tive individuals. Allergic responses may include hay fever-type symptoms such as sneezing, runny nose, red eyes and skin rash. Allergic reactions to mold are common.”
“If you did a random poll of parents, at least 50 to 75 percent of them would tell you their children are on neublizers and never had to use them before they came to school,” said the parent.
According to school superintendent Michael Kopakowski, the district’s Supervisor of Build-ings and Grounds, along with district HVAC workers inspected that particular area, “it did not indicate to them that it was mold,” said Kopakowski.
“In light of this being a concern, I’ve made arrangements for a testing company to come in over the weekend (March 24-25),” Kopakowski told the Herald. “They will start with a vis-ual inspection of that room, look for signs of moisture or mold, and if they see signs of moisture or mold they’re going to take samples. He told me what they’re looking for is evidence of fungal growth.”
Kopakowski has instructed the testing company, ALS Environmental, to also take samples from each of the building’s three wings, including air samples.
“We don’t think it’s mold,” said the superintendent, “but just in case it is, we’re going to call the company in and if it turns out to be, we’ll address it.”
Formal results of the testing should be returned to the district by March 30. In the meantime, a letter is being sent out from the building principal explaining the steps that the district is taking to address the issue.
“I want it fixed,” said the parent. “I want it cleaned up. Our children should be safe and not be getting sick by going to school. How can you learn when you are coughing?”