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Mold a growing problem in schools
Lack of ventilation may lead to allergies, respiratory problems.
MSNBC News (Associated Press )
November 25, 2002
NASHVILLE, Tenn., Nov. 25 — Nationwide, school districts are finding
allergy-inducing mold in walls, on carpets and near ventilation systems. While
one study blames aging buildings and mold-promoting construction techniques,
other findings suggest the problem is due to a lack of proper ventilation in
newer schools.
WHATEVER THE cause of mold in schools, “it’s a growing problem, and it’s one of
the more high-priority issues that schools are dealing with,” said Ericka Plater,
indoor air quality manager for the American Association of School
Administrators.
To protest the problem, nearly 1,000 students at East High School in Memphis
skipped homeroom one day. Across the state, another 1,000 students spent a month
at Bristol Motor Speedway — not watching NASCAR races, but studying in the
skyboxes while mold was removed at Sullivan East High School.
Mold occurs naturally and can grow almost anywhere that’s warm and damp. Experts
have identified more than 100,000 species of mold; at least 1,000 are common in
the United States. While the most common molds generally aren’t hazardous, some
types are blamed for headaches, fatigue and respiratory problems.
Across the country, mold has forced some administrators to shut down schools and
make millions of dollars in repairs. Others face lawsuits from students and
staff who claim moldy buildings caused long-term health problems.
Sullivan County Schools director John O’Dell said the Sullivan East High School
was shut down for about six weeks and $600,000 worth of repairs after children
became ill and several classrooms tested positive for black mold, or
Stachybotrys chartarum, which can cause breathing problems.
In Austin, Texas, voters approved a $49.3 million bond issue in February to pay
for mold removal and preventive maintenance in 91 schools. In Fort Myers, Fla.,
several teachers sued county school officials last week, accusing them of
failing to fix mold problems.
In Tennessee, just as the Sullivan East High students returned to their school,
teenagers at Heritage High School about two hours away in Maryville got an
unexpected four-week vacation when mold was found there. The repair estimate: $1
million. |
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