Schools' bad air may sicken students

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Schools' bad air may sicken students

BY MICHAEL D. CLARK | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER

DEERFIELD TWP. - Some classrooms at Kings Junior and Senior High School have

high carbon dioxide levels because of poor ventilation, and students may be

sickened, according to an air quality report scheduled to be released tonight at

a school board meeting.

Air testing in the school building also showed higher-than-recommended

humidity levels in some areas, according to an indoor environmental study

sponsored by Kings officials after complaints about air quality in the building

at 5500 Columbia Road, which houses the Deerfield Township district's junior and

senior high students.

Almost all the high carbon dioxide levels during class times come from the

exhaled breath of students and staff, according to the March 9 report from a

Norwood-based, indoor environmental testing firm. Inadequate ventilation is the

main reason the levels reach levels beyond federal standards, according to the

report.

High levels of the colorless, odorless carbon dioxide gas can lead to symptoms

associated with " sick building syndrome, " such as eye, nose and throat

irritations; dry skin; mental fatigue; headache; and breathing and concentration

difficulties, said Crandall, president of Enviro Dry.

Thirteen of the 16 classrooms tested from Feb. 22 to March 3 showed carbon

dioxide levels exceeding the federal standards of 800 parts per million. Nine of

the 16 classrooms had average levels ranging from 829 to 2,187 parts per

million.

High carbon dioxide levels are the latest in a series of indoor air quality

problems that have plagued the school since 2001.

That year, roof leaks and high humidity were discovered. Then, in 2004, school

officials temporary closed the school's auditorium to remove potentially harmful

toxic mold. Last year, a handful of classrooms were temporarily sealed off just

before the start of school for cleaning of mold.

District officials have spent more than $150,000 in recent years to fix the

building's problems with stepped-up maintenance, and monitoring its heating and

cooling system.

Kings Superintendent Mason said they found new areas of high humidity

in the fall and " we decided to do a comprehensive study and now we going to

present a plan to redo the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system. "

Mason said there have been no reports from the schools' 1,700 students of

ailments that might be attributed to air quality problems.

Parent Kim Grant - a former school board candidate - said both her son and

daughter, who graduated in 2004 from the high school, had complained of

migraines and itchy eyes while in some classrooms.

" They have let this go on for years, but now it is time to be honest with the

community on how the school building fell into this state of disrepair, " Grant

said.

E-mail mclark@...

Kings students exposed to high carbon dioxide levels A recent air

quality study showed that 13 of 16 Kings Junior and Senior High School

classrooms tested showed high levels of carbon dioxide, which may increase the

incidents of " sick building syndrome " among some students, though school

officials said they have been no reports of illness.

The report sponsored by Kings officials also found high levels of humidity in

much of the building, which in recent years has also been plagued by water leaks

and mold infestation.

The report is scheduled to be made public during a 6:30 p.m. meeting of the

Kings Board of Education at the Kings Education Center, conference room 3, at

1797 King Ave.

District officials said they will propose a plan at the meeting to renovate the

building's heating and cooling system that will affect 45 classrooms, the

auditorium and gym.