| Lake Zurich, IL: School closed for the year |
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Concerned parents meet with Superintendent: Lake Zurich students not to occupy school with toxic mold. Bravo, parents! www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-mold_21aug21,1,5581997.story chicagotribune.com August 21, 2007 LAKE ZURICH May Whitney Elementary School in Lake Zurich will remain closed for the school year after positive test results for Stachybotrys, a mold capable of producing toxic chemicals, a school spokesman said Monday. The 450 pupils will attend classes at the former Middle School North, 100 Church St., a vacant building adjacent to the elementary school. "We don't see going back to the original May Whitney building any time soon," said Jim Jennings, spokesman for Community Unit School District 95. The decision to move for the full school year was made by Supt. Brian Knutson after a two-hour meeting Monday with parents, Jennings said. May Whitney pupils will begin class sometime between Sept. 4 and 10. Copyright © 2007, Chicago Tribune --------------------------------------- US & World Aug 20, 2007 3:12 pm US/Central Mold Delays Start Of School For Hundreds CBS Chicago reports classes for the 440 students at May Whitney Elementary School could start as late as September 10th. May Whitney Elementary is closed indefinitely after cleaning crews found asbestos and the black mold, Stachybotrys, underneath wet carpeting after a recent flood. The so-called “toxic mold" is associated with a variety of symptoms including sore throats, irritated eyes, and coughing. The mold and asbestos are now being removed. Parents packed a meeting Monday to discuss the future of the school and the safety of their children. “Besides mold and asbestos, is this safe?” one parent asked. The district plans to move the elementary students to the adjacent Lake Zurich Middle School North, which is vacant. Many parents expressed concern that although the two schools are in separate buildings, they are connected by a common hallway. Dr. Brian Knutson, Superintendant of District 95, tried to reassure parents. “That hallway already has been sealed partially its going to be totally sealed so that there is no issue,” he said. Heidi DeRousse, a mother of three, had special concerns because her children have asthma. “I just want to make sure that it's a safe environment, that the air is safe and there's no mold here,” DeRousse said. The students could be at the middle school for the next four years, and as long as they're there, the district has promised to regularly test the air for mold. The district says the school could be ready for students as early as September 4th or as late as the 10th. They plan to hold another meeting this Wednesday, and say they'll alert parents when they know what day classes can begin.
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