System hit for poor communication with parents; followed protocols, Dep. Sup’t. Sweat says
More than 100 parents of Huddleston Elementary School students and a number of teachers attended an information forum Sept. 21 to learn about the efforts to eliminate the mold found in the school in the weeks before the school year began. Many may have been satisfied with what they heard, but others were not.
The Peachtree City school continues to undergo mold remediation work while a number of teachers are ill with symptoms presumably linked to exposure to black mold and an unknown number of students are also affected.
Principal Heidi Pfannenstiel at the outset explained that the meeting was designed as an information forum for parents with questions about the discovery of the mold in July, the ongoing work to remediate the mold in the building and to address the concerns of parents.
Deputy Superintendent Sam Sweat began the meeting by giving a history of the mold discovery in July a few weeks before the new school year began, and outlining the short-term and long-term actions that will be taken to eliminate mold and humidity issues. Industrial hygienist Jeff Giles explained testing procedures and representatives from Marietta-based disaster recovery and restoration firm EPIC Response that specializes in services such as mold remediation and dehumidification explained the cleaning procedures.
Prior air sample results from early August, and the issue causing the greatest concern, was the presence of a spore of Stachybotrys (also known as black mold) in a 75 liter sample in Room 112. Usually found in outside areas, exposure to black mold can result in health issues. The Aug. 16 test results did not show Stachybotrys.
Parents were told that gaps in roof line had been found during the summer. Those gaps allowed humidity to enter the building where the humid summer air, along with cellulose serving as a food source, provides the mechanism for mold growth. The gaps under the roof line have been sealed and a number of other measures, including dehumidification, are either completed or underway, parents were told.
There were many questions posed by parents and a few teachers. Many posing questions were not satisfied with the way the mold issue had been handled.
One parent asked why they had not been notified earlier. Sweat answered, saying the school system followed the established mold protocol as it had with issues involving mold in other schools over the years.
“It’s not something we notify parents about,” Sweat said. “We were following our typical protocol.”
At left, equipment used by Marietta-based disaster recovery and restoration firm EPIC Response operated over the weekend as part of the mold remediation activities at Huddleston Elementary School in Peachtree City. Photo/Ben Nelms.
EPIC representative Clint Maynard responded to a parent’s concern that the source of the problem might be the HVAC system. Noting the cleaning that had been done, including this past weekend, Maynard said that while sometimes hard to pin down, the problem with mold always comes back to moisture.
“We believe cleaning and balancing the HVAC will go a long way to get the humidity where it needs to be,” he said.
A new HVAC system along with new floors, ceiling tiles and painting are among the projects to be completed beginning next spring. Those were approved by the Board of Education on Sept. 21. It was noted that, with the passing of summer, humidity concerns will diminish.
Another parent asked how many students and teachers were sick. Pfannenstiel said the school is in the process of collecting health information on students, though the school had not been overwhelmed with responses from parents.
The Citizen has asked the school system to provide an accounting for the number of students absent and how those numbers compare to other area schools. That information has been provided and will be the subject of a story in the Sept. 26 edition.
Pfannenstiel at the meeting said the sick teachers are receiving the support they need.
Sweat on Tuesday did confirm that six or seven Huddleston teachers are out on workers compensation.
A parent during the meeting suggested that the health symptoms such as nosebleed or headaches could be more than an allergic reaction and cautioned parents to watch their children for symptoms.
That line of reasoning led to statement from another parent who wondered if the teacher and student illnesses might be due to something other than mold.
Still another question dealt with the potential for losing teachers over health issues. Pfannenstiel said she did not believe the school would lose those teachers.
Responding to another question, Sweat said a parent representative is present during air sampling tests.
While most parents in the room sat quietly and listened, there were some whose frustration and disappointment over the way information was disseminated was obvious. One of those said she felt let down over the lack of information.
“I respect your opinion and I’ll take the blame,” Sweat said.
Pfannenstiel followed Sweat’s comments saying the school would never “put staff and kids in this place if we thought (it wasn’t safe).”
Asked by another parent what would happen if the current tests show elevated mold levels, Sweat and Pfannenstiel said the school and school system would look for alternatives, including mobile units or other locations.
“We will make that decision if warranted by the data,” said Sweat.
Giles during the meeting noted that other types of mold, such as penicillin aspergillis, can also cause health issues. Black mold over the past decade is the one that gets all the attention, he added.
It was noted on the mid-August tests that a number of locations in the school had test results in one category labeled as “unknown.” Giles after the meeting said those were mold fragments.
On another issue, a small number of classrooms were not included in the most recent test results. Giles said said those had been tested by another company and were being re-tested on Sept. 21 after the conclusion of the parents’ meeting.
The meeting came on the heels of a Sept. 18 letter to parents from Sweat and Pfannenstiel which said Giles and another industrial hygienist conducted facility-wide tests at the school and reported good air quality throughout the majority of the building though 10 rooms showed elevated levels of spore counts.
“This will be immediately addressed over the weekend by a professional environmental remediation company. The entire building, including all rooms and common area, will be deep-cleaned,” the letter said. It was EPIC Response that conducted the cleaning.
The Sept. 18 letter noted that it is believed that the source of the elevated spore counts had been identified. That information, among others, was included in the Sept. 21 parents meeting.
“The HVAC units and supply lines in the 5th and 3rd/4th grade hallways will be cleaned this weekend. After the cleaning of all the rooms and these two units, the rooms with currently elevated levels will be tested following the cleaning process. We will also be conducting random testing afterwards to ensure that our air quality remains safe,” the letter said.
Sweat and Pfannenstiel said parents will be kept informed via letter and copies of the letters will be available in the school’s front office.
Giles and EPIC representatives on numerous occasions during the Sept. 21 meeting noted that humidity is the culprit that allows mold to be present and grow. Giles said the summer months, with the school’s humidity in the 70 percent range, provided the venue for mold growth. The humidity in the school today is in the high 50 percent to low 60 percent range, he said.
Pfannenstiel at the Sept. 8 school board meeting said a report from nurses also noted that student visits to the clinic were very comparable to other Peachtree City schools.
“It’s still a concern among some in the parent community and so that is what we were working today to address and trying to take in their feedback of what they want the communicate back to us and how we can make that possible if they do have a concern,” she said.
Pfannenstiel said the school community’s support from the first parent letter on Sept. 10 has been “very high.”
“Very supportive and very positive of the steps we’ve taken and the transparency we have,” she said. “But certainly there area a few people that would like some more information we’re trying to provide.”
Asked by board member Diane Basham at the Sept. 8 meeting if there were any staff staying out because of their fear, with indications by several that that is the case, Pfannenstiel deferred to other school system staff, saying that she did not know if such information might be personal.
“We have had several staff members express their concern, and several staff members who have requested the worker’s comp paperwork and things like that and they’ve been very well supported,” said Pfannenstiel. “But that, I would say, would be for a handful of staff members. But then the rest of the staff seem to be responding very well and supportive of what is taking place in the school.”
Superintendent Jody Barrow offered his take on the issue. He said the absentee rate and visits to the nurse were all within limits of the range of the other Peachtree City schools.
“My priority for all our schools and all of our staff and children is that our environments be very safe and secure,” said Barrow. “We feel like we’re working in that regard to make sure that that’s the case at Huddleston. We’ve tried to be very open with parents and with staff. I think we’re taking every reasonable step to address this issue.”
Sweat at the school board meeting provided what was essentially a preview of a portion of his comments to parents on Sept. 21.
“We have moved as quickly as we could move. However, because the testing results take some time, I think the staff and maybe some of the parents have had some concerns about how forthright we’ve been,” he said. “And that’s what (Facilities Director Mike Satterfield), Ms. Pfannenstiel and I have talked with the faculty about.”
Sweat said he also met with parents on the issue.
“It’s a tough issue because for a lot of people when they hear the word mold and mildew they freak out and they start thinking the absolute worse. So we’re trying to stay steady in the boat. And we’re trying to be sensitive and supportive.”
