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SMH Note: We commend the school district for sending the staff and students to go to school in local church facilities, while they correct the problems in the local public schools. Hopefully, correct methods of remediation are being used so that they may re-occupy the school once it is fixed.
Mold And Money Problems In Hugo
Updated: Jan 14, 2008 08:28 PM PST
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Mold And Money Problems In Hugo
http://www.kten.com/Global/story.asp?S=7624416&nav=menu410_3
KTEN Local News
A mold problem so severe, students had to moved out of a Hugo school. Monday night, the Hugo board of education met to discuss what's being done about it. Crews say refurbishment at the site is anywhere from 50-to 70-percent complete. The problem now is how to pay for it. KTEN's Jhen Kordela has an update.
Hugo elementary school closed down back in December to fix the mold problem. Since then, students have been attending class at two different churches, and crews have been working to clean out the school. So far, officials have not been billed for the work done, and they say they'll cross that bridge when they come to it.
Mold has caused a big problem at Hugo Elementary school. Not only has it created health problems for those who attended it, it forced faculty and more than 400 students to relocate until all traces of it are gone.
"We had a lot of teachers that were sick and a lot of students that were sick," says Superintendent Tony Daugherty.
"There was a not a lot of evidence of mold, other than the mold spore count within the building," says Charles Price, of Compass Builders, Inc.
"The type of mold that we did find -- most of it is the type that does irritate respiratory, says Daugherty.
And, when it comes to black mold, Daugherty says there's very little. Now though, the focus is on the future -- and, an expensive one at that. It's projected price is at $600,000, which will deplete the general fund and then some.
"We're trying to get as much funding as we can," says Daugherty. "We're applying for some grants and some funds out there that could possibly help us."
Adds Price: "I think, at this point, you know, we've brought it down about $100,000 from our initial estimate -- we're pretty much right on at this time."
Work is expected to be completed at Hugo Elementary by the end of February.
- Jhen Kordela, KTEN News. |
