By James Lomuscio
When the Westport Public Schools recouped $582,367 from its insurance carrier for recent mold remediation costing $704,000 at Coleytown Middle School (CMS), school officials cheered.
Off limits: Coleytown Middle School auditorium. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Westport Public Schools photo
But, mold happens, especially at CMS.
And now that amount won’t even cover an estimated $600,000 for the remediation efforts due to mold growth at CMS over the summer, Elio Long, the schools’ chief financial officer (CFO), told the Board of Education tonight.
The mold flourished due to the summer’s heavy rains, high temperatures and a snafu in the name of energy conservation, shutting off circulating fans while school was out.
To get CMS ready and safe for opening day last week, the district over a four-week period rented industrial strength dehumidifiers, air scrubbers and installed mold resistant ceiling tiles. Work continues, and the school’s auditorium remains off limits to students.
As of last week, the tab was $432,000, Longo said, “and at this time we anticipate $600,000.”
Tonight, the school board voted unanimously to request the Board of Finance for permission to deposit the $562,367 into its carry-over account.
The vote also included a request for a $400,000 appropriation for mold remediation subject to a list of costs provided by Longo. The separate appropriation is being requested, so that the schools do not deplete its carry-over account.
When Schools Superintendent Colleen Palmer discussed CMS’s current mold issue at last week’s school board meeting, some members of the public demanded a permanent fix, not a Band Aid measure that would throw good money after bad.
One mother went so far as to describe the remediation efforts as “polishing a turd.” Michael Rea, vice chairman of the Board of Finance, demanded the district get serious about finding a solution.
Tonight, following the vote, the school board heard from Ted Hunyadi, the district’s director of facilities. To hear Hunyadi tell it, the problem lies not in the weather, but in the school itself.
“It didn’t have the best design; there are envelope conditions,” Hunyadi said. “It has to be looked at holistically.”
He said he has been meeting with engineers, looking at rooftop air handlers, “maybe retrofitting.”
“We want to make sure this does not happen again,” said Mark Mathias, school board chairman.
Longo said that the companies Hunyadi has been seeking out are skilled in “design solutions.”
“Our approach is to meet with three large firms and ask them to come in and to provide a solution,” Longo said.
After that, the schools would have to send out a request for proposals (RFP).
“There’s a sense of urgency to have a permanent solution,” Hunyadi said.
“We won’t stop until it’s solved,” he added.
Sue Herman, co-president of the CMS PTA, praised Hunyadi for getting the school ready. Still, she said she has spotted problems when she visited Coleytown.
She said the auditorium being off limits puts the music program on hold. She also expressed concern that at a time of heightened school security and talk about the need for school resource officers (SROs) at the middle schools, that classroom doors have to remain open to vent moisture.
“Come to Coleytown Middle School and see for yourself,” she urged the board.
Palmer said that in the event of an intruder, the classroom doors could be easily locked. She said now would be a good time to have a lockdown drill at the school.
