Parents rip school officials over mold

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Article Launched: 09/29/2006 11:35:54 AM EDT

Lowell Sun - Lowell,MA

Parents rip school officials over mold

By DENNIS SHAUGHNESSEY , Sun Staff

http://www.lowellsun.com/front/ci_4417428

DRACUT -- A crowd of angry parents verbally pummeled school

administrators last night, demanding to know what they knew about

the serious mold problem at the Avenue School and when did

they know it.

" Our children's lives were being affected and we weren't notified, "

said the mother of a second-grader, who did not give her name. " That

is totally irresponsible. "

Two modular units at the school were closed on Sept. 15, but parents

were not given a reason until Sept. 22. The units, which housed two

fourth-grade classrooms, a library and a computer lab, were

demolished on Monday.

At last night's meeting, held at Dracut High School and attended by

about 50 parents, Superintendent of Schools Elaine Espindle

presented parents with test results of the main Avenue School

building, conducted by EFI Global of Andover. No one from the

company or the Board of Health were on hand to interpret the

results, leaving parents more frustrated.

" I find it appalling that nobody is here to tell us what any of this

means, " said another parent. " Even Mrs. Espindle admits she doesn't

understand it. Can somebody please tell us if it's safe to send our

kids to school? "

Graham, the district's supervisor of buildings and grounds,

said four areas of the main building were tested for spores, fungus

and airborne microbial particles.

" It tested clean, " said Graham.

But parents worried that mold was carried into the main building

when children and equipment were transferred. Espindle told them

that all the books were taken away and would be replaced with new

materials. But parents insisted that the building be retested and

experts be brought to a future meeting to share their results.

Graham reluctantly agreed.

One after another, and sometimes all at once, parents complained

that information was hard to come by throughout the two-week ordeal.

Espindle laid out a timeline of events that did little to allay

concerns. She said she was notified on Sept. 11 that one of the

fourth-grade teachers was having trouble staying in the room.

" As soon as we knew there was a problem, we acted immediately, "

Espindle said.

Classes were moved, as was the

library and the computer lab, but notices never went out to the

parents. In addition, the building was open as late as Sept. 14,

when a parent-orientation night was held. Parents were incensed to

think that they attended the event, some with their children who

were wearing pajamas.

" You got to be kidding me, " said one man. " Is this the gang that

couldn't shoot straight? Do you think I would have brought my kids

if I had known? "

The next day, a Friday, students who were in the modular units were

moved into the main building. Testing began the following Monday and

still, parents knew only what their children were telling them. On

Thursday of that week, Sept. 21, notices went home with the

students, informing parents that field trips would take place on

Monday, but they were not told why. Automated telephone messages,

explaining the problem and announcing the demolition, went out to

all the parents that evening.

Parents also let Espindle know that their preference would be to

keep all the classes at the , even though crowding and comfort

may become an issue.

Espindle gave parents several options, designed to make room at the

school, including moving either the kindergarten classes or the

fourth-grade to other schools in the district.

Parents were still fuming as they left the meeting, although one

parent defended the administration.

" Of course, we all would have like to have known what was going on,

but realistically, all they could have given us was partial

information and these parents would still be complaining, " said the

woman, who would not give her name.

Seventeen parents signed on to form an ad-hoc committee that will

monitor future testing as well as the possible reconfiguration of

the classes.

Dennis Shaughnessey's e-mail address is dshaughnessey@....