|
Aug 17, 2007 6:33 pm US/Central
Suburban School Delays First Day Due To Mold
http://cbs2chicago.com/topstories/local_story_229193532.html
(CBS) LAKE ZURICH, Ill. Summer will last a little longer this year for some students in Lake Zurich, because their
school has mold.
Officials at Whitney Elementary School have delayed the first day of class. The mold was discovered during a
cleanup following flooding earlier this month.
A vacant middle school near Whitney is being looked at as a temporary location.
The students will not have to make up the days they miss, but they will be getting educational materials online.
(CBS)
--------------------
Lake Zurich school delays 1st day of class after mold found
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-both_moldaug18,1,1459175.story?ctrack=1&cset=true
Flooding cited at Lake Zurich facility
By Lisa Black | Tribune staff reporter
August 18, 2007
Lake Zurich school officials have closed Whitney Elementary School and will delay the first day of class for nearly
450 pupils after discovering mold following a recent flood, officials said.
In a letter to parents, officials wrote that the school will be closed "for at least the start of this school year" while
testing and remediation are under way.
The pupils, in kindergarten through 5th grade, could be moved to a vacant middle school at 100 Church St., which is
adjacent to Whitney.
"They will start after Labor Day and possibly as late as Sept. 10," said Jim Jennings, spokesman for Community Unit
School District 95, adding that officials are assessing the former middle school to determine whether it is suitable.
"Our first priority is getting kids back in school in a proper environment," he said.
Officials decided to close the school, at least temporarily, after discovering black mold while cleaning up after an
Aug. 6 flood. Heavy rains that inundated a back hallway and cafeteria were followed by a 36-hour power outage. On
top of that, a worker with a cleaning crew "was pulling up water soaked carpet when the floor tiling was pulled
loose, exposing a small amount of asbestos," according to a letter to parents signed by Principal Deb Bruemmer.
Air-quality samples for airborne asbestos came back negative, but experts identified greenish-black mold as a
Stachybotrys, which is capable of producing toxic chemicals that can cause health problems, he said.
"We made what some may call an overly cautious decision to close the school," Jennings said. "The environmental
folks said it could be cleaned up ... but you're also dealing with the perception."
Whitney, built in 1949, has suffered leaks and flooding in recent years, he said.
Classes resume Wednesday for the district's eight other schools. Whitney pupils will not have to make up the days
they miss, but will be provided educational materials on the Internet, Jennings said.
A parent meeting is scheduled from 9 to 11 a.m. Monday at the library in the annex, the vacant middle school at 100
Church St.
----------
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
More articles
Copyright © 2007, Chicago Tribune
|
