Vigor High parents complain of mold and mildew

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Vigor High parents complain of mold and mildew

Thursday, January 26, 2006

By RENA HAVNER

Staff Reporter

Mobile,AL

http://www.al.com/news/mobileregister/index.ssf?/base/news/1138270899

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About 50 supporters of Vigor High School complained to the Mobile

County school board Wednesday night that students are exposed to

mold and mildew at the Prichard school.

Vigor High's 850 students have moved into the old Blount High School

off Main Street near downtown Prichard as their campus on

Avenue is undergoing a major renovation.

Blount's students moved into a brand-new, $17 million school on the

northwestern outskirts of Prichard last spring.

Seventy-five percent of Vigor's campus is being replaced at a cost

of about $10 million, including the construction of classrooms, a

library and school offices in a new main building. The gymnasium and

cafeteria are not being redone.

Vigor's students moved into the old Blount in August and will likely

remain there until the work at Vigor is finished, which should be

sometime this fall, said Tommy Sheffield, executive director of

facilities for the Mobile County Public School System.

" We want to know why a decision was made to put our students in a

physical plant that can be defined as sick and unclean, " H.

Chapman said to school board members at a meeting Wednesday night.

" There is mold and mildew that can be seen by the naked eye, " added

Chapman, who said he has no children at Vigor but supports the

school.

Schools Superintendent Harold Dodge promised the crowd that he would

have someone inspect the school within the next 48 hours.

Sheffield said the school has already been checked at least two

times, and there is no mold. He said he would authorize air samples

to be taken and tested for mold, which could take up to 30 days.

" We haven't done such a test in the past because there hasn't been

any mold, " Sheffield said. " They might be seeing mildew. That could

be due to a lack of cleaning, which goes back to the principal and

staff. We will assist them. "

Janet Brown, a member of Vigor's Parent Teacher Organization, said

that her daughter has been experiencing allergy problems that she

never had before moving into the old Blount building.

" Our students are having health issues, including sinus headaches

and respiratory problems, " Brown said.

Others questioned the scope of Vigor's renovation, asking why the

cafeteria and gymnasium were not being renovated as well.

Board member Hazel Fournier, who represents Prichard, said the

school system, which has spent $371 million on construction over the

last decade, had to prioritize its needs. She said the Vigor

building that was torn down had termites and replacing it was more

important than the cafeteria or gym.

" You have to take one bite at a time, " Fournier said. " I guarantee,

Vigor's on our list. "