Mold invades juvenile facility

[Guest guest]

Mold invades juvenile facility

A Polk school official wants kids' health tested after teachers got

sick and left. The state refuses.

Amy L. | Sentinel Staff Writer

Posted April 5, 2006

FL.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/southwest/orl-

owmold0506apr05,0,4663723.story?track=rss

A Polk County school district official has called for an independent

medical evaluation of about 200 juveniles who are serving time at a

state correctional facility that has been beleaguered with mold.

Dennis Higgins, senior director of alternative education for Polk

schools, suggested the idea after more than a dozen teachers who

work at the Polk Juvenile Correctional Facility have become ill.

The district employees, who teach at the Sabal Palm School at the

correctional facility in Polk City, have symptoms such as coughing

and itchy eyes that they say are caused by persistent mold.

" Several people got significantly ill, " Higgins said.

Nineteen of the 33 teachers have filed workers'-compensation claims

over the problem, he said.

But state juvenile-justice officials said Tuesday they have no plans

to conduct an evaluation.

" The department's chief medical director has visited the facility,

reviewed charts and interviewed randomly selected staff and youth, "

said Department of Juvenile Justice spokeswoman

Lorenzo. " There are no formal evaluations scheduled at this time. "

Lorenzo also said, " There are no known reports of symptoms or

complaints by the youth or direct care staff [employees] that can be

directly attributed to the mold. "

But she acknowledges the mold does exist. The Department of Juvenile

Justice has asked the state for $5 million to make improvements at

the facility, including getting rid of the mold. But no timetable

for that work has been established.

" We have identified some problems in the facility with mold, and

certainly we need to get those fixed, " Lorenzo said.

The school district decided to leave Sabal Palm on March 3 because

of the mold. Since then, the teachers have been working at other

schools, and the students have not had classes.

" We commissioned an environmental study, " Higgins said. " They found

considerable mold and made recommendations that we not re-enter the

facility until corrections are made. "

The Department of Juvenile Justice, which oversees the correctional

facility, said it will bring portables onto the property to allow

the students, who are 13 to 18 years old, to continue going to

classes. Some of the juveniles are high-school seniors.

" We are very concerned about the safety and health of the staff and

the youth, " Lorenzo said. " We've ordered the portables. We are

moving as quickly as possible. "

In addition to the health risks, Higgins said the district also is

concerned because the juveniles, more than half of whom are

exceptional-education students, have already missed a month of

school.

" There's a federal mandate that they not be kept from their

education, " Higgins said.

It could be another two weeks before the portables are delivered.

" It's devastating, " Higgins said.

Amy L. can be reached at aledwards@... or

863-422-3395.