By Jarret Liotta
Prompted by a health-related morning evacuation at Coleytown Middle School today, parents expressed worry and concerns tonight over how the Westport Public School district is addressing an ongoing mold issue.
School board members listen to Superintendent Colleen Palmer’s more than 30-minute report on mold remediation efforts. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Jarret Liotta for WestportNow.com
Following reports from eight staff members and one student that they were not feeling well, the building was evacuated for about 30 minutes while fire officials determined the cause was not related to carbon monoxide.
While a number of students later visited the nurse to complain of issues including headaches, nausea and dizziness, Suzanne Levasseur, the district’s supervisor of health services, said these were determined not be related to mold in the building.
“There’s been heightened awareness with mold symptoms (and) we have been on it,” she said, calling today’s event “a little bit of an outlier.”
Superintendent of Schools Colleen Palmer, recounting the history of mold at the school in a more than 30-minute recitation, said all that can be done is already being done.
“We’re always asking, ‘Is there anything else we should be doing?,’” she said. “‘Is the building safe?’”
“We are following every piece of advice from health professionals, which is to continue what we’re doing,” Palmer said, which centers on efforts to assuage humidity in the building.
“In this very tough climate all our schools are experiencing high moisture,” she said, noting it’s “unrealistic” to ever claim a school would be free of at least some mold.
She warned that mold remediation efforts could eventually cost several million dollars and raised the possibility at some point it might be more cost-effective to demolish the 50-year-old building and rebuild.
Parent Sean Cross told the Board of Education that his daughter, who is “never sick” came home with coughing, itching, a stomach ache, and concerns about struggling to breathe. She reported that there were many other kids who had problems today at CMS. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Jarret Liotta for WestportNow.com
Parents were not mollified, however, and raised additional concerns, including the children’s proximity to a dehumidifier that Palmer said is burning $600 worth of diesel fuel running 24/7 to dry up the building.
Some parents also expressed concern for the staff members, whom they said are scared to voice their concerns for fear of reprisal.
Parent Nina Blanco, whose children have had ongoing physical symptoms since starting school, said the teachers and support staff are “terrified to lose their jobs if they speak up.”
Palmer dismissed this point.
“No one should ever feel reticent to come forward,” she said. “No one’s job is on the line.”
“I think that you’re losing a lot of trust with the parents,” parent Nick Sadler told the board. “I think you are behind the issue and you need to catch up.”
“We have spent the last two hours hearing you talk,” said parent Paloma Bima. “I have not heard a single solution yet.”
“Waiting for the weather to get better is not a (viable) solution,” said Penelope Hoblyn. “We’re not in Flint, Michigan.”
“Why is it we have to get up here (and) beg you to do something?” she said.
Parent Linda Coutures said when she visited the school on back-to-school night, she was struck by the condition in some classrooms.
“It was very wet, very damp, and frankly just uncomfortable,” she said, “and I don’t know how you can concentrate with the (ventilator) machine going.”
Palmer said that given part of the building itself was below grade, it was particularly hard to keep dry. She said a “long-term solution” was likely going to be implemented next summer and could include replacing all the ventilators and possibly redesigning the front of the building.
An informational meeting for parents is scheduled for Thursday at 7 p.m. at CMS to review more information and answer questions.
“We are doing as much as we can, as rapidly as we can,” said Chairman Mark Mathias, who toured the building with three other board members earlier in the day.
“It’s ongoing,” he said. “We’re not saying it’s done, but I want the public to know we’re working on it.”
Board of Finance member Lee Caney told the board he would support any capital request made to address the situation.
Following discussions with other financiers on the issue during the day, he said, “I’m sure if you come before our board we will approve of any measure that would be required.”
Parent Sean Cross said his daughter, who never claims to be sick, came home this day coughing, itching, and complaining of a stomach ache.
“My daughter came back and said there were about 20 kids that (she) saw that had issues today,” he said.
“I want to point out that my daughter is never sick,” he said.
But today, he said, “She had a real hard time breathing and it scared her … I’m sure my daughter’s not alone in feeling that.”
Some board members appeared taken aback by the parental criticism of their mold remediation efforts.
Vice Chair Jeannie Smith said, “According to my emails, we only had 11 emails about — given to us. So it is really helpful to hear from more people … I didn’t realize so many people were in such distress.”
Board member Karen Klein said the administration was moving as quickly as possible in addressing the CMS mold issue but laid out a timetable that she said would take several months to figure out what had to be done and getting the funds to do it.
Palmer said she would request that CMS parents get a daily email update for at least the next month from the school’s principal on how many mold and health-related issues occurred during the day.
