Another school closed due to mold - we commend the school district for transferring students to safe haven while the mold is being removed. We also hope they are tending to any sick students or teachers, responsibly. We disagree that the district could not have prevented this mold, however. (SMH)
School mold: Unfortunate problem being handled
http://www.elpasotimes.com/opinion/ci_10217281
(OPINION)
El Paso Times Staff
Article Launched: 08/16/2008 12:00:00 AM MDT
There's no doubt that mold buildup is a health concern, so it was the obvious choice for Ysleta Independent School District trustees to temporarily shutter Pebble Hills Elementary School.
More than 800 students are to be relocated when classes begin later this month. It's unfortunate, but it's necessary.
Meanwhile, be slow to direct blame in anyone's direction. Mold is virtually everywhere.
And when surfaces get wet or damp, mold spores grow. This is the time of year El Paso gets wet and damp; it's our usual late-summer rainy season. And we get mold.
In this specific case, an old, leaky roof caused wetness and dampness inside Pebble Hills; it's a roof that had already been scheduled for replacement.
According to a report from the National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities (www.edfacilities.org), there are ways to battle mold before it becomes a problem.
The first step is to immediately respond to water leaks. Plug them. In the Pebble Hills case, it has already been determined that the roof should be replaced.
Obviously, use methods at hand to dry wet building materials. That can be difficult up inside and under an old roof, as is the case in the Pebble Hills situation.
Regularly inspect roofs, ceilings, walls, floors and carpeting.
Mold -- and it's virtually everywhere -- can cause illness. Mold allergies can cause: coughing, nasal or sinus congestion, sneezing, headache, shortness of breath, fatigue ... mold allergies make people
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Advertisement
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
sick.
In severe reactions to allergies caused by mold, persons can die.
Ysleta officials handled this situation correctly. And to their credit, plans had already been made to replace the old roof, the cause of the water which was the cause for mold build-up.
It's unfortunate that some 212 of the younger-aged children will be transferred to Glen Cove Elementary.
The same goes for some 600-plus students who will now be temporarily educated at Parkland Elementary, probably for eight to 12 weeks.
Note that the district will provide transportation to both campuses.
YISD is in the process of inspecting other campuses for mold.
The district is handling its problem properly.
COMMENTS:Mold prevention does not include allowing "an old leaky roof" to exist. It should have been replaced prior to the leaks, preventative maintenance, nearly non-existent in school districts, would have prevented these leaks. This school district did NOT handle its roof maintenance properly. Scheduling an already leaky, old roof for replacement is not preventing the mold. Mold is not everywhere, indoors, in schools. Only where school districts mismanage buildings... Go to www.schoolmoldhelp.org for over 1300 articles on this topic! (NoMoreSchoolMold, 8.15.08)
---------------------------------------------------------
School Infested With Mold
KFOXtv.com - El Paso,TX*
Arleene Barrios-KFOX Morning News Reporter
August 5, 2008
http://www.kfoxtv.com/news/17097015/detail.html
EL PASO, Texas -- From the outside it's hard to tell something's
wrong at Pebble Hills Elementary School. Officials with the Ysleta
Independent School District recently learned of mold infestation at
the eastside campus. A large white sign has been placed on the front
doors of the school: School Closed Until Further Notice.
An independent environmental consultant found mold in the school and
told the district the building is not safe to use. District
officials said the old roof was scheduled to be replaced, and the
recent rain and humidity caused the growth of mold.
"They should've kept up with it. Those are things they need to be
looking at and keeping up. It's a public school. Many people rely on
leaving their kids there safely," said Lorena Mena, of east El Paso.
While the district gets started on the cleanup process, it
anticipates placing the hundreds of students who attend Pebble Hills
Elementary in other schools for a period of 60-90 days.
The first day of class is Aug. 25. Students in kindergarten and in
the Preschool Programs for Children with Disabilities (PPCD) will be
reporting to Glen Cove Elementary School at 10955 Sam Snead Drive.
The administration is still not sure where it will house students in
first through fifth grade, but one option is the Ysleta Pre-K Center
at 7909 Ranchland Drive, where 37 portables could be ready for
students the first day of class.
EL PASO, Texas -- A community forum will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday to inform parents on the temporary transition of Pebble Hills Elementary School students to other campuses.
The meeting will be held at the Indian Ridge Middle School gymnasium at 11201 Pebble Hills Blvd.
Pebble Hills Elementary School will be undergoing a clean up process to remove mold that was found in the building. YISD administrators will be available to answer questions on the transition of students.
