Seattle, WA: Nathan Hale High conditions abominable PDF Print E-mail

 Despite Seattle School District denials, Nathan Hale has been said to be plainly operating under abominable, unhealthy conditions, by numerous members of the school community and media.

 

 

Nathan Hale High School Stairwell Ceiling where stachybotrys (toxic black mold) was found.

 

"The purpose of this message is to let you(r) know, in the clearest possible terms, that Seattle Public Schools is committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for staff and students, and to addressing any problems as quickly and responsibly as possible."

from Environmental Health and Indoor Air Quality at Seattle Public Schools,  Seattle School District Letter, June 10, 2005 (scroll to bottom to read)

(the photos were taken in fall, 2004, by a concerned parent)

 

Missing, water-damaged ceiling tile reveals mold underneath

More missing damaged ceiling tiles. Ever wonder what is under these?

Water-damaged wall with paint peeling off, at Nathan Hale High School

 

 

 

 

Q: Does this look like a safe and healthy environment?

     Does this look like a place that you would want your child? Take our poll at bottom of this page!

     If problems are addressed quickly and responsibly, how did this building get into this condition?

     Did the district not know? How is that possible - don't they check their buildings?

    Are they accountable for this?

    Send us your thoughts and we will post them here.

The above photos were submitted by a Seattle School District parent, to document water damage and resultant mold at Nathan Hale High School in Seattle, WA. Note the extent of the water damage and where the mold is found. Very often, water damage will produce hidden molds - the signs of the moisture intrusion may be a parent's only clue that serious problems exist, in addition to illness experienced upon exposure to the building itself.


 

Testing Results from Nathan Hale High School: Toxic Black Mold identified (Stachybotrys)
 

4708 Aurora Ave N., Seattle, WA 98103

Tel: 206.547.0100 Fax: 206.634.1936

Client: Batch #: 2414972.00

Client Project #: n/a

PO Box 34165 Samples Received: 1

Seattle, WA 98124 Samples Analyzed: 1

Attention: Mr. Troy White Sample Type: Bulk

Location: Nathan Hale High School Date Received: 10/11/2004

Sample # Laboratory ID

Sampled by: Client

Analyzed by: Carol Evans Date: 10/18/2004

Reviewed by: Nick Ly Date: 10/18/2004

Page 1 of 1

Remarks: Materials from bulk samples or tape lift are treated with clear liquid and evaluated using a light microscope at

magnifications of 300X to 1500X. If samples are not homogeneous, percentages represent a composite of the fungi present in all

layers. If the sample was not collected by NVL personnel, the accuracy of the results will be affected by the methodology and

acuity of the sample collector.

Fungal genera identified: Stachybotrys sp.

Bulk, Nonviable, Fungal ID

Seattle Public Schools

2445 Third Ave S

Sample Description Results/Observations

100% of the fungal materials detected were

Stachybotrys sp.

24085253

Nick Ly, Technical Director

NE stairwell ceiling: Black

powdery material on brown paper

NVL Laboratories, Inc.

Analysis Report

100804-1

www.nvllabs.com



Health Risks Determined by Contracted Company 
  Dec. 7, 2004
Seattle Times
Local Digest:   Seattle

Mold tests find no health risks

"Two experts hired by Seattle Public Schools reported yesterday that the mold found at Nathan Hale High School does not pose an emergency or immediate health risk to students.

Though students and staff had complained of poor air quality in some classrooms, the problem was not caused by mold but by poor ventilation, according to the report from Bruce Kelman and Coreen Robbins, consultants from Redmond-based GlobalTox.

In some cases, carbon-dioxide levels were elevated because classroom ventilators had been turned off and windows were closed, the report said.

During a Nov. 30 walk-through, the pair said they did see some mold in small areas of some ceiling tiles. The district says those areas will be cleaned during the holiday break.

In its recommendation, GlobalTox said it isn't necessary to take further mold samples in the building and suggested the district employ health professionals to counter "inaccurate information concerning mold occurrence, exposures and potential health effects." It also urged the district to develop a long-term plan to minimize mold growth. "


Click to read Nathan Hale Tape Test Results
 


News June 2005 About Seattle Schools and Nathan Hale High Mold 
  Wednesday, June 8, 2005

Click here to read Seattle schools assailed for response to mold and other problems
Teachers file complaint with state

By JESSICA BLANCHARD
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

For months, as water from a leaky pipe pooled and mold spread underneath classrooms filled with first- and second-graders, Arbor Heights Elementary teacher Robert Femiano urged Seattle Public Schools officials to fix the problem.

Students in his wing of the West Seattle school were complaining of mysterious headaches that disappeared once they left the classroom. Many seemed to be constantly coming down with colds and other ailments.

  
  Femiano
"It's ridiculous," Femiano said. "I went up and down the chain ... to the superintendent and the School Board, even. And still I got no real response."

Frustrated, he and a handful of other teachers filed a complaint in April with the state Department of Labor and Industries, also citing possible exposure from damaged asbestos insulation around the water pipe.

Today, six months after it was first reported, the mold is still there -- affecting at least four classrooms.

L&I has opened an investigation, triggering a belated pledge from the district to solve the problem.

"It is unacceptable that there was that delay," district spokeswoman Patti Spencer said last week, adding that the district has since formed a task force at Arbor Heights and is surveying other schools for evidence of mold problems.

Those measures don't satisfy a growing number of critics -- parents, teachers and students across the city -- who claim the district is failing to cleanse mold and other environmental hazards from a number of schools in order to save money.

  
   Meryl Schenker / P-I
  Cori Roed, holding Conner, 4, said recurring headaches have caused her daughter Nicole, left, to miss seven days of school at Arbor Heights Elementary this year -- more than the previous three years combined. Mold in the classroom was reported to the district six months ago.
Years of budget cuts and a backlog of tens of millions of dollars' worth of maintenance projects have taken their toll on many schools -- nobody disputes that. Replacing lead-contaminated water pipes and drinking fountains throughout the district -- a top priority in the past year -- also has been costly.

District officials continue to assert publicly that there are no other serious environmental health threats and that the mold problem in particular is minor -- potentially affecting only a handful of students suffering from severe allergies or asthma.

Documents obtained by the Seattle Post-Intelligencer tell a different story.

Asked in April to recommend which upcoming maintenance projects could be cut or delayed to help balance the budget, district maintenance manager Ed Heller warned that deferring any of them would be unwise.

In a series of internal e-mails, Heller rattled off a list of possible hazards within the district's older schools -- from asbestos-containing floor tiles and dirty, worn carpets to ceilings lined with cellulose tile that provide a medium for mold.

"Combined with leaking roofs, condensation from low temperatures due to energy conservation and restricted circulation behind ceiling tile, there are potential colonies of molds all over the district," he wrote.

In another e-mail, Heller concluded: "We are jeopardizing health and safety now. Cutting this budget just increases the number of students we are putting at risk."

Heller was not available for comment. Spencer said district officials disagreed with Heller's description of the situation but ultimately decided not to delay any of the maintenance projects.

"As soon as it became clear that replacing floor tiles is very important in terms of ongoing safety, the decision was made to absolutely protect those dollars," Spencer said.

Since March, several district workers have been surveying schools, looking for water damage, stained ceiling tiles and other evidence of mold. Potential problems are referred to an environmental coordinator for follow-up visits.

Spencer estimated that 62 schools had been inspected already, with about 13 requiring follow-up visits. Of those inspections, only one patch of mold had been discovered so far -- at Washington Middle School, she said.

But recent correspondence between district officials and school employees suggests the problem is more widespread.

Mold was reported in eight classrooms and on a water-damaged stairwell ceiling at Nathan Hale High School last fall, and patches were discovered in rooms at Leschi Elementary in March and Washington Middle School in April, according to the e-mails.

Teachers and staff members also have raised concerns about indoor air quality at Viewridge Elementary and Seahawks Academy middle school, and they have reported moldy smells at Graham Hill Elementary and Bailey Gatzert Elementary.

"The Seattle School District has been slumlording with impunity for years," said Mark Cooper, a parent who sounded the alarm last year on contaminated drinking water. "And they get away with it was long as the public doesn't hear about it."

The district's risk manager, Richard Staudt, acknowledged that some schools may have small amounts of mold, and that "we suspect there's the potential for more of it out there. ... We recognize we need to be more proactive in identifying it as soon as it rears its ugly head. We are continuing to look at those issues, but to date we haven't seen any indication that anyone's been adversely impacted."

Arbor Heights parent Cori Roed, whose daughter, Nicole, is in Femiano's second-grade class, said there's plenty of evidence students have been harmed.

Nicole has had recurring headaches and has missed at least seven days of school this year -- more than the previous three years combined, Roed said.

Two students in Nicole's class were diagnosed with asthma this year, and others have complained of respiratory problems and persistent colds, according to Roed.

"They might have gotten it anyway -- or they might not," she said. "But sitting on top of this swamp all winter long I'm sure wasn't helpful."

Roed worries that children were exposed to mold and asbestos on at least one occasion, when workers opened up the crawl space below the classrooms while students were present.

Workers later discovered damaged asbestos insulation and rodent droppings, complicating cleanup efforts.

Facilities Director Fred Stephens, who took over the job eight weeks ago, said his workers need to take care of repairs more quickly. He promised to "respond to those needs in a much, much better and more efficient manner."

District officials have convened a task force of Arbor Heights teachers, parents and staff that meet weekly to monitor the problem there and work on a solution. The district is also footing the bill for an independent air-quality consultant chosen by the Arbor Heights' PTA.

But like many other Arbor Heights parents, Kim Seater is furious that it took Femiano's whistle-blower complaint for the district to seriously address health hazards at the school.

"The minute he did that, it seemed to light a fire under the district," she said. "The district basically has neglected these problems ... I don't for one minute believe Arbor Heights is the only school in the district that has mold problems."

Last summer, as workers were fixing up Lincoln High School, the Department of Labor and Industries cited the district for two "serious" asbestos-exposure violations and fined it $5,400.

Last fall, facing growing pressure from parents, district officials sought a consultation with L&I on how to handle the mold problem at Nathan Hale High and hired a consultant to test indoor air quality.

"They both recommended that the situation is stable," Spencer said. "They don't believe there is a risk."

The consensus was that all of the stained ceiling tiles should be removed but that the majority of the tiles could remain until this summer, Spencer said. In the meantime, the consultants said the tiles themselves formed a physical barrier that would keep any mold from affecting students and staff.

All visible mold was removed and about 700 tiles were replaced over winter break, Staudt said. The district plans to replace 1,600 more this summer.

Parent Jennifer Aspelund scoffs at that. "That's not even hitting the tip of the iceberg," she said.

The district, she said, should also replace the plasterboard above the stained tiles and immediately eliminate any water leaks.

Aspelund's 17-year-old son, North, has a compromised immune system as a result of complications from cancer and is so vulnerable to mold exposure that he was pulled from school for several months this year.

He's back in school now but had to be moved to another classroom when another patch of mold was discovered last month, Aspelund said.

She said she's worried other children might be affected, and she's frustrated by the district's attempts to downplay the problem. "To them it's not a health threat -- it just doesn't look good. They're short on money, I guess."

The mold at Nathan Hale may be a serious health concern, or it might be innocuous -- but the district won't know until it tests it, said David Anderson, a toxicologist who heads the Shoreline-based Children's Indoor Environmental Health Society.

"It's an educational institution that's telling you that ignorance is bliss," he said.

At Arbor Heights, the district has decided to wait for a report from the task force's consultant before attempting any permanent fixes. In the meantime, workers have reinforced the barrier between the crawl space and the classrooms and sealed cracks. Teachers are opening classroom doors and windows to improve air flow.

The task force meets weekly and sends regular updates to parents and staff, Staudt said.

"Clearly everyone wants to move this to a resolution as fast as we possibly can," he said. "I think everyone's on the same page."

But those words ring hollow for Femiano, the whistle-blower.

A task force sounds nice, he said, but "I think it's more for show than it is for effectiveness."

He's afraid his activism on the mold problem and his criticism last year of the district's handling of the water-quality issue have finally caught up with him. After 14 years teaching at Arbor Heights, he said he's suddenly being pressured to transfer to another school.

Spencer said the transfer is not retaliatory, but declined further comment. Parents have rallied around Femiano, who says he plans to fight the reassignment.

"We're supposed to be child advocates," he said. "If you can't stand up and do that without the fear of reprisal ... then it doesn't happen."

P-I reporter Jessica Blanchard can be reached at 206-448-8322 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it


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KOMO TV News
Click http://www.komotv.com/news/archive/4154616.html to read: Board Member Says District Is Ignoring Serious Mold Problems
Serious Mold Problems

YouNewsTV™Story Published: Jun 8, 2005 at 3:28 PM PDT

Story Updated: Aug 31, 2006 at 1:58 AM PDT
By By Liz Rocca
SEATTLE - A stunning accusation from a Seattle school board member Wednesday. She says the district is ignoring a serious mold problem in some schools.
And because of it, she says the district ought to pay the bills for kids who get sick.

Teacher Robert Femiano says mold beneath the classrooms at Arbor Heights Elementary is making children sick.

"Students leaving school early with headaches and respiratory types of things, chest congestion," he said.

For six months, Femiano says he begged the district to do something.

"We got the runaround and the runaround," he said.

Femiano says with nowhere else to turn, he filed a complaint with the Department of Labor and Industries. L & I is now investigating.

"I would say we apologize that the response was slow," said Patti Spencer with the Seattle School District. "It's totally unacceptable and every member of the staff, student and family deserves better."

The School District has now hired a consultant to analyze the Arbor Heights mold problem.

But parents and teachers say the district was just as slow tackling mold at Nathan Hale High School.

"The district has got to not just listen, and not just pay lip service and say that these things will be taken care of, but they have to be taken care of immediately," said School Board Director Sally Soriano.

Soriano is so outraged by the district's slow response, she now wants them to pay for the medical bills of the children that are getting sick.

"I think if they do not remediate these buildings, then they should pay for these health bills," she said.

Femiano says he's being transferred. Although the district denies it, he claims it's in retaliation for his whistle blowing.

"It's the only thing to do for children," he said.

But Femiano says he has no regrets if it helps the kids.

The school district found small amounts of mold at Washington Middle School, and Highpoint and Leschi Elementary.

The district says it has a comprehensive plan to fix all the mold problems.

 


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SEATTLE - A stunning accusation from a Seattle school board member Wednesday. She says the district is ignoring a serious mold problem in some schools.

And because of it, she says the district ought to pay the bills for kids who get sick.

Teacher Robert Femiano says mold beneath the classrooms at Arbor Heights Elementary is making children sick.

"Students leaving school early with headaches and respiratory types of things, chest congestion," he said.

For six months, Femiano says he begged the district to do something.

"We got the runaround and the runaround," he said.

Femiano says with nowhere else to turn, he filed a complaint with the Department of Labor and Industries. L & I is now investigating.

"I would say we apologize that the response was slow," said Patti Spencer with the Seattle School District. "It's totally unacceptable and every member of the staff, student and family deserves better."

The School District has now hired a consultant to analyze the Arbor Heights mold problem.

But parents and teachers say the district was just as slow tackling mold at Nathan Hale High School.

"The district has got to not just listen, and not just pay lip service and say that these things will be taken care of, but they have to be taken care of immediately," said School Board Director Sally Soriano.

Soriano is so outraged by the district's slow response, she now wants them to pay for the medical bills of the children that are getting sick.

"I think if they do not remediate these buildings, then they should pay for these health bills," she said.

Femiano says he's being transferred. Although the district denies it, he claims it's in retaliation for his whistle blowing.

"It's the only thing to do for children," he said.

But Femiano says he has no regrets if it helps the kids.

The school district found small amounts of mold at Washington Middle School, and Highpoint and Leschi Elementary.

The district says it has a comprehensive plan to fix all the mold problems

 

Click to Read Seattle School District's Environmental Health and Indoor Air Quality Statement
 


News March 2006 About Seattle School Mold 
  Health, safety plan for schools is 'unacceptable' Teachers, parents say mold, lead aren't addressed
by JULIE DAVIDOW - P-I Reporter, SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER


Thursday, March 9, 2006


OLYMPIA -- Teachers and parents on Wednesday criticized a draft plan to improve school health and safety rules, calling it a "toothless feel-good policy" that does little to address concerns about mold on the walls, lead in the water and other environmental toxins that have left children and teachers sick across the state.

About a dozen teachers and parents told members of the state Board of Health that the draft -- the first attempt to revise school health and safety rules in 30 years -- is unacceptable.

"What is needed is a state-level policy with some teeth," said Robert Femiano, a first-grade teacher at Arbor Heights Elementary School in Seattle who alerted school officials about mold in his classroom months before any action was taken.

The draft, which was presented at the board meeting, contains provisions requiring schools to test for lead and develop plans for responding to mold -- both policies would be firsts.

Maryanne Guichard, director of the state's Office of Environmental Health & Safety, said similar requirements to test drinking water for copper and cadmium were left out of the draft because lead seems to be "more of a widespread problem."

Mark Cooper, a parent and longtime advocate for lead testing in schools, said the omission was an example of the department's disregard for the recommendations submitted by an advisory committee that met for months to develop plans for the draft.

Cooper was the parent representative on the School Rule Development Committee.

The draft represents a "betrayal of public trust," Cooper told board members.

Guichard said every effort was made to incorporate the committee's input. Limited budgets and a shortage of trained local public health staff make enforcing health and safety rules in schools a challenge, she said.

"We want to be protective for children but we also want to be realistic about the resources available to schools" and public health departments, Guichard said.

But by leaving the testing and cleanup to school officials, the department is advocating the status quo -- a system that lacks accountability and oversight, said Gary Arthur, a fifth grade teacher in the Issaquah School District.

"Guidelines simply aren't enough to keep us safe," said Arthur, who said that his wife, also a teacher, developed a serious fungal infection after exposure to mold at a school in the Highline School District where she taught for 13 years.

Several speakers, including Cooper, called for an ombudsman position to be created in the Attorney General's office that would allow parents and teachers to take their complaints and concerns to an outside party.

"You can't ask a risk management (official) from a school district to respond in an appropriate manner," said Jennifer Aspelund, who said her son's exposure to mold at Nathan Hale High School left him with a compromised immune system.

Board member Karen VanDusen asked staff to research whether the ombudsman proposal is possible.
Parents and teachers also said their concerns have been repeatedly downplayed by school officials who attribute their complaints to hysteria or other mental health problems.

"There is no evidence of that," said Harriet Ammann, a toxicologist with the Air Quality Program at the state Department of Ecology. "It is essential to listen to the occupants of the building."

The draft also requires school officials to keep records of testing results and make them available to the public.

A dozen workshops to solicit public comment on the draft proposal have been scheduled this month around the state. The first two are being held today in Wenatchee and Spokane. The Seattle meeting will be 7 to 9 p.m. March 16 at Mercer Middle School, 1600 S. Columbian Way.

A final draft is expected by July, Guichard said.

In addition to indoor air quality and drinking water, the draft calls for inspections of playground equipment and soil testing.

For Sara Cramer, the attention to school health hazards is long overdue. In 1993, her 9-year-old son Daniel Brainerd became ill after his school on Bainbridge Island used a toxic solvent to remove floor tiles that contained asbestos.

Within days of exposure to the solvent, the bubbly fourth-grader developed severe stomach cramps that left him curled up in pain on the couch. He slept up to 18 hours a day and lost seven pounds in five months.

In November, after years of suffering from the depression and alienation caused by his diagnosis of multiple chemical sensitivity disorder, Brainerd committed suicide at the age of 22.

"They just said 'Oh, it's safe. It's safe' A year and a half later, a bunch of students and teachers were sick," said Cramer.

"I would like some other agency to be in charge of deciding when a school is unsafe."
 

-----------------------------------
Nathan Hale 
  June 10, 2005
Environmental Health and Indoor Air Quality at Seattle Public Schools


You may have seen or heard recent media coverage related to issues of mold and other environmental health matters at our schools.
The purpose of this message is to let your know, in the clearest possible terms, that Seattle Public Schools is committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for staff and students, and to addressing any problems as quickly and responsibly as possible. We also want to provide you with the facts about these topics, and the actions we are taking to ensure any environmental risks are reduced through proactive management.


Student and staff health and safety is a top priority for the Superintendent, leadership team, and members of the school board. Resources have and will be allocated to respond to pressing health and safety needs.


Senior Leadership Wants to Hear About Unresolved Environmental Health Concerns. All members of staff, students and parents are encouraged to bring any concerns about environmental health issues (air quality, mold, water intrusion, etc.) to the attention of the school principal. In most cases, issues are dealt with promptly and concerns resolved. However, if staff or families remain concerned about the timeliness or adequacy of response, they are encouraged to contact the district’s Risk Manager, Richard Staudt, at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .


A District-wide Indoor Air Quality Survey is Nearly Complete. A comprehensive survey of all school buildings began in March and will be completed by the end of the school year. The survey process is managed by Richard Staudt and involves a room-by-room inspection of each school, measures of CO2 levels, and recording of any potential issues such as stained ceiling tiles, presence of moisture or mold, and other factors. Surveyors were instructed to be very thorough in their review. In cases where mold is “suspected,” an Environmental Health Coordinator conducts a follow-up inspection. To date 60 schools have been surveyed and the remainder are scheduled for completion by the end of the school year. Surveyors requested follow-up inspections for mold at 20 sites. To date, an environmental coordinator has inspected 11 of the 20 buildings. The presence of mold was confirmed at only two of those sites, Washington Middle School and High Point Elementary.


• At Washington Middle School, a small amount of mold was detected in one portable and in a science materials storage closet. The mold was removed. Repairs will be made to the roof of the portable this summer.
• At High Point, a small amount of mold was found, and removed, from a classroom. In addition, an area of mold in the wall space near the front
door of the school has been sealed. Work will be done this summer to remove the mold and complete needed repairs.
• Identified separately, not through the survey, was a small amount of mold at Leschi Elementary, which has also been removed.
Other District-wide Initiatives related to Environmental Health. A series of protocols, including regular cleaning and inspection by custodians and a structured asbestos management plan, are in place. Other procedures being added include:
• Safety committees – additional training for school-based safety committees is planned. Additional items will be added to the checklist used by safety committees during quarterly walkthroughs.
• Nursing services checklist – a health questionnaire has been developed, with a view to tracking and early identification of clusters of student/staff symptoms that could potentially be triggered by environmental health issues. Risk management will provide training later this month.
• School-based task force approach – the “Indoor Air Quality Task Force” approach, described below as applied to Arbor Heights, will be utilized as appropriate for future situations. The task force includes senior-level district staff, environmental experts, parents and staff.
• The Facilities Director and Risk Manager are reviewing other systems and procedures to ensure that day-to-day requests related to health and safety issues are acted on promptly and effectively.


Mold Issues at Nathan Hale. Last fall, we shared information about water intrusion and mold issues at Nathan Hale. We sought advice and guidance from experts with Public Health – Seattle & King County, the Department of Labor and Industries, and Globaltox, an environmental consulting firm. Testing determined that airborne mold levels within the school were actually lower than outdoor mold levels. A small amount of mold was identified, sealed, and then removed over winter break. At that time, we committed to a project for summer 2005 where 1600 ceiling tiles will be removed and replaced. Gypsum board material will be inspected for mold and mold and damaged materials removed if found.


Water and Mold Issues at Arbor Heights. Staff and parents at Arbor Heights raised concerns about the potential health impacts of water pooling under modular classrooms. The district did not respond as quickly nor as effectively to this issue as needed, and we apologize to staff, students and families. Once the matter was brought to the attention of Richard Staudt, Risk Manager, and Fred Stephens, Facilities Director, we provided a prompt and comprehensive response. Some of the action steps taken and planned include:
• An Arbor Heights Indoor Air Quality Task Force, chaired by Mr. Stephens, meets weekly. The team, which includes two parents and two staff members from the school, plans, prioritizes and monitors action steps. The task force will continue to meet until it is certain that all water intrusion issues have been addressed.


• Experts from Public Health – Seattle & King County; the Department of Labor & Industries; and the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency have visited and inspected areas of concern at Arbor Heights. We are following all of their recommendations.
• The PTSA asked the district to fund a PTSA-selected independent consultant to advise parents about the situation at Arbor Heights. The consultant made several inspection visits, and we are awaiting his report.
• Mold and other air quality issues - To date, a small amount of mold was found, and removed, from a joist underneath a modular unit at the school. We have asked the PTSA consultant to let us know if he identifies other areas of mold. If so, they will be removed. One of a series of tests for fibers in the air revealed a relatively high fiber content, but these were not asbestos fibers.
• The PI story on June 8 stated that the district was waiting for the PTSA consultant’s report before making any permanent fixes. This is not accurate. Actions taken include:
o Pumped out water underneath the modular units – but the water has returned.
o Fixed a domestic water line leak.
o Fixed a heating water pipe leak and scheduled replacement of the system under four of the modular rooms for summer 2005.
o Inspected downspouts and roof drains, identified four with leaks. Fixed three of those leaks, staff requested that the fourth be repaired after the last day of school.
o Hired a hydrogeologist to recommend a permanent solution to the groundwater problem.
o The task force will agree on additional actions that need to be taken pending receipt of reports by the PTSA consultant and the hydrogeologist.


I hope this helps address any questions or concerns you might have. If not, please let me know.


Mark Green
Chief Operating Officer
 

 
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