More mold sources found in North Port Head Start building

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01/20/06

More mold sources found in North Port Head Start building

http://www.sun-herald.com/NewsArchive2/012006/tp5np6.htm?

date=012006 & story=tp5np6.htm

Charlotte,FL

NORTH PORT -- Consultants have identified what they believe are

additional sources of mold-promoting moisture at the Head Start

building in North Port, officials say.

In December, Head Start moved children out of the portable classroom

near Glenallen Elementary School because previous efforts to remove

mold had been ineffective, officials said, and children were put

into other Head Start groups in Sarasota or Charlotte counties while

the problem was investigated.

Head Start is a federal program serving children ages 2 months to 5

years old. The program prepares children of low-income families for

school.

Environmental Safety Consultants on Monday told Children First, the

agency that manages North Port's Head Start program, that there

appeared to be two additional sources of moisture that was

contributing to mold growth in the classroom. First, consultants

said, moisture appeared to be getting into a paneled wall through a

window. Second, there appeared to be a water leak in a supply line

near the restrooms, they said.

By the end of this week, consultants expect to inform Children First

whether the problems can be corrected and the mold remediated.

If remediation is technically feasible, then Children First will

examine the cost and the time frame of performing the remediation.

Children First is constructing a new building for the Head Start

program that could be ready by October or November.

A Charlotte County school was in a similar situation last fall

because of mold found behind some of its walls.

Students at Charlotte County's Baker Center campus were relocated to

the East Elementary School campus. The East Charlotte Avenue center,

which was destroyed by Hurricane Charley in 2004, serves about 130

preschoolers in the federally sponsored Head Start pre-K program.

Mold was found on 70 wooden panels in two connected modular wood

buildings.

Philip Tavill, executive director of Children First, said the agency

moved the Head Start program out of the portable units last fall

when mold was first discovered.

" We moved the kids out of there when we did the first remediation,

which was to replace the air-conditioner ducts, " Tavill said. " The

consultants said we only needed to clean that duct, but we went

ahead and replaced the whole thing because we didn't want to take

any chances where the children are concerned. "

Floor tiles were removed and new carpeting was installed at the same

time. Walls and other surfaces were cleaned with a bleach solution.

However, within a few weeks, evidence of mold returned. Children

First found other places in the area for the children to go for

their Head Start program.

" We would not want the children to move back into that building

until it was fully remediated, " Tavill said.

You can e-mail Hoffman at shoffman@....

By SUSAN E. HOFFMAN

North Port Assistant Editor