District 88

addresses

mold issues

Remme: Clean-up

taking place 'as soon as possible,' 'on

a priority basis'

By KREMENA TODOROVA

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- Carpets have been cleaned, vinyl wallpaper removed and walls painted as part of mold removal at public school sites, according to Superintendent Harold Remme.

During Christmas break, District 88 contracted a company to clean carpets in 12-13 rooms and the media center at Jefferson Elementary, said Remme. The carpets were cleaned with a 2-5 percent bleach solution, at 185 F.

The district also completed "microbial abatement," -- cleaning sheetrock, removing vinyl wallpaper and painting -- at some of the worst-affected sites, Remme said. These sites include a classroom at each Jefferson Elementary and the High School, the band area at Washington Elementary, and the girls' locker room/storage area at the High School.

The district is currently soliciting bids for an evaluation of air conditioning and ventilation systems, says Remme. The assessment is intended to determine the systems' efficiency and adjust them to operate at optimum levels.

School officials are monitoring air quality on a weekly basis, said Remme. Nurses and health-aid assistants have just been instructed to log in student visits and submit the logs to a doctor who will be specifically watching out for unusual trends.

This spring, the district will conduct a study of the buildings' exterior to determine whether there is any outside "mold intrusion" and a need to re-caulk joints, Remme said.

The mold removal measures are the result an independent study of all school sites. Completed in late 2002, the study found significant mold growth in walls, flooring and pipes in most buildings, especially in newer school construction.

Remme stressed that mold issues are being addressed "as soon as possible" and "on a priority basis."

While the most pressing steps have already been taken, the bulk of the work is expected to take place this summer, in line with the consultant's recommendations. Some measures being considered for the summer are: replacing carpet with new carpet or hard flooring; pipe re-insulation in the High School ceiling tile areas and the sheetrock and walls at Jefferson and Washington; and switching computer labs to separate air conditioning systems. The district's facilities committee, made up of school board and staff members, is working on specific solutions for the summer projects, said Remme.

The work will be paid for with health-and-safety and general-fund money.