School fights flooding, mold for decades

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School fights flooding, mold for decades

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Knoxville,TN

http://www.volunteertv.com/Global/story.asp?S=4399638

Caryville, County (WVLT) - Every time it rains it seems to

pour inside one County elementary school.

Flooding problems have existed for decades in the nearly 70 year old

school, but the problems are starting to get really old.

McCloud explains why the solutions may also be part of the

problem.

After a lot of cleaning, most the mess is gone here at Caryville

Elementary School, but once the rain picks up, it'll be back.

They say there is two ways the water comes in. Here behind the

freezer and also along the floorboard at the back wall of the

cafeteria. Today they call a good day because many times the water

is up to their ankles.

Teachers say they're tired of the hallway serving as a place to eat

and it's no picnic for the cafeteria workers either.

" When you walk through the water and step into the freezer… you

freeze to the floor, " says Kay , a cafeteria worker at

Caryville Elementary.

These flooding problems have been around since some of these

students grandparents were here. The issue lies in fixing them.

A few years ago the school board spent over $370,000, getting rid of

mold and trying to eliminate the flooding.

" We knew we were just doing a band-aid approach and the only

solution is to build a new school for Caryville, " says

County School Board member Eugene Lawson.

But, the school board and county commission can't agree on how to

make that happen.

" We are at the mercy of the local governing body the local county

commission, " explains Superintendent Dr. Judy Blevins.

The school board says the land has been purchased and they've told

the county commission what they want. Now they need the money. The

county commission says the price is much too high.

The only agreement, so far, the students shouldn't continue to pay

the price.

" This is a dangerous situation and it's gonna get worse, it's not

gonna get better, " Lawson says.

School board members say they want construction to start this summer

so that students can be in the school by 2008.

But before that can happen there will be numerous meetings, both

with the county commission and the school board.