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Students Return To Key Despite Concerns
http://www.click2houston.com/education/15710858/detail.html
By Elizabeth Scarborough
POSTED: 9:19 am CDT March 26, 2008
UPDATED: 2:12 pm CDT March 26, 2008
HOUSTON -- Students returned to Francis Scott Key Middle School on Wednesday after the campus was closed for months for renovations, KPRC Local 2, Your Education Station, reported.
However, despite $3 million in improvements, some are concerned that the school, located at 4000 Kelley, is still not safe.
The school was closed in September after staff members and students got sick and had difficulty breathing. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention attributed the problems to damp building syndrome.
Health experts hired by the Houston Independent School District said they found no unusual levels of mold inside the building.
Briana Barnett, 14, thought a lot about returning to Key.
"I'm going to be thinking, 'I'll get sick again,'" said Barnett.
She said mold inside made her sick early on in the school year.
"I was throwing up, real bad diarrhea," she said.
Kenneth Davis was apprehensive when he dropped off his child at Key on Wednesday morning.
"I don't know if it's safe or not. We're just going to see," he said.
"We're definitely going to give it a try. It's not like we don't want to come back home," parent Maria Martinez said. "We're definitely going to give it a try and hope for the best."
School leaders were ready to reopen the school.
"We are very elated to be back home," said Principal Mable Caleb. "Welcome back to Key Middle School."
The principal gave KPRC Local 2 a tour of the school on Tuesday.
Key has new carpeting, new vinyl flooring, new chalkboards in every classroom, empty shelves where new library books will go, and every classroom has improved ventilation to keep dampness out.
"Absolutely everything we did was to make sure we had a safe environment, for children, faculty and staff," said Willie Burroughs, the HISD project manager.
Briana's mother said the improvements are not enough.
"I saw an incomplete building," said Gloria Johnson. "It looks all painted and polished, but there are still problems."
U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee agreed and is demanding that a new school be built instead, even though an expert said there is no dangerous mold inside.
"We saw paint, but there were cracks in the paint," she said. "There are other things that indicate mold still in place."
Two teachers will not be returning because of health concerns.
The district said it will have two new full time workers at Key, one will monitor the heating and cooling systems while the other will tackle any problems that arise.
Some parents said they will voice their concerns about returning to Key at the next school board meeting on Thursday.
More Information:
Key Middle School's March 25, 2008, Report On Air Quality
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