West Broad Elementary safe for students, staff

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West Broad Elementary safe for students, staff

By: Bob Keeler, Staff writer

01/18/2006

Fort Washington,PA

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?

newsid=15952410 & BRD=1306 & PAG=461 & dept_id=187822 & rfi=6

Souderton Area School District Superintendent Dr. Amuso says

he's confident West Broad Street Elementary School is not an

unhealthy building.

But to further verify that, the Pennsylvania Department of Health

was at the building Tuesday and the United States Environmental

Protection Agency is being asked to bring its educational programs

to West Broad.

" The more people learn about indoor air quality, I think the better

we are. We have to be very careful that indoor air quality is safe

for everybody, " Amuso said.

The health department was asked by the school district to tour the

building and give advice, said McGarvey, a department

spokesman. The department is not planning to do any further testing

at the school, he said.

Judith Gosten, an environmental health specialist with the

Department of Health, had already reviewed the previous reports on

the school before her Tuesday tour of the building, Amuso said.

" She found nothing alarming in any of the reports or at the school, "

Amuso said. " She also said the problem that existed last July has

been addressed. "

Amuso said Gosten's written report on her visit should be completed

by next week.

Moisture in the air and warm temperatures combined to allow mold to

grow in the air at West Broad during the summer of 2005 when classes

were not in session, Amuso said.

" The mold grew on the carpet and some other surfaces, like desks, "

Amuso said.

It was discovered in July.

" We cleaned all the rooms, all the unit ventilators and so forth,

all the filters, " Amuso said. De-humidifiers were also added in

classrooms.

Mold spores are always present, both indoors and outdoors, but four

sets of testing at the school by two different inspection companies

have shown no air quality problems at West Broad, Amuso said.

The testing did find bacteria in ventilation systems, which were

again cleaned, he said.

The bacteria was described as not being a health risk, Amuso said.

Finding the bacteria, however, heightened already existing health

concerns of parents, Franconia resident and West Broad parent Sherri

said.

said she is ready to sign on as one of the group members to

work with other parents and district officials on the EPA's Indoor

Air Quality Tools for Schools program.

" I'm concerned and I just want to make sure we are all doing all we

can and working together, " said.

The EPA program, she said, should also be extended to other district

buildings, even if concerns about air quality have not been raised

in those buildings.

" It's a good program to have at the schools, not just West Broad

Street, but for all the schools, " said.

An EPA representative is scheduled to come to the district Monday,

Jan. 23 to discuss the Tools for Schools programs, Amuso said.

The district has looked at the school's attendance records to see if

there is any indication of more health problems at West Broad than

at other schools.

" The attendance rates at West Broad are at the same level as all the

other schools in the district, or a little higher, " Amuso said.

Acting on the advice of the student's physician, one student has

been transferred from West Broad to another district elementary

school, he said.

District records show West Broad had 481 students on Jan. 3.

" As superintendent, I am personally committed to addressing indoor

air quality issues, as I know they can pose significant threats to

the health of our students. Several years ago, when I was

superintendent at Boyertown, I was involved in closing an elementary

school there to make sure that mold problems were corrected. If I

thought there was a similar threat at West Broad, I would not

hesitate to take action, " Amuso said. " However, I remain convinced,

based on the numerous tests that have been conducted, that West

Broad is safe for students, faculty and staff. "

In the Boyertown case, mold was found at Pine Forge Elementary

School in 2003.

" We closed the building for a month to do the proper clean-up, "

Amuso said. The about 290 students at the school were transferred to

another building for classes, he said.

Souderton Area School District has spent $6,350 for the four sets of

tests done by private companies at West Broad Street Elementary to

investigate the building's air quality. The district will not be

billed for the state and federal programs being done at the school,

Amuso said.