Board approves third mold test at Nannie Berry

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Board approves third mold test at Nannie Berry

By

ville Star News

on County Times - TN

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The parents of Nannie Berry Elementary School students still say the

building needs to be inspected in its entirety for mold and at

Tuesday's school board meeting offered to help pay for an

independent environmentalist firm to re-inspect the school.

While the Sumner County Board of Education did not accept parents'

offer, they instead decided the school system would pay for a third

firm to do additional testing at Nannie Berry.

" I could support taking another surface sample, but I could under no

circumstances support sanctioning an outside firm retained by a

group of parents or any other outside group of the school system,

giving them access to our schools for any analysis or evaluation of

any kind, " Fussell said. " I think that would establish a bad

precedent. "

Nannie Berry parents made the request because of concerns with the

most recent testing for mold.

In July, mold was discovered in several basement areas of the school

and in September it was found on ceiling tiles in the cafeteria. A

company hired by the school system, Geosciences Design Group,

determined that high humidity in the building's lower level caused

by deficiencies with the air-conditioning unit led to the formation

of mold.

" The last surface sample taken at Nannie Berry was taken in July 28

and the last air sample was taken Sept. 8, just hours after the air

scrubbers were removed, which doesn't allow for an accurate

reading, " Nannie Berry parent Ruthie Holt told board members.

" Children still continue to get sick, including my own child and

teachers continue to show symptoms of exposure. "

To address these issues, the Tennessee Occupational Safety and

Health Administration and another private environmental consulting

firm, Tetra Tech, investigated conditions at the school in September.

The school system also does regular testing of humidity levels at

the school to make sure conditions that promote mold growth do not

occur. The use of dehumidifiers and air scrubbers continue as

needed, and Tetra Tech will begin its complete inspection of the

school later this month.

Despite these efforts, parents still want to pay for their own

independent test.

" I feel that the board wants to have control over the test so they

will get the results first, " Nannie Berry parent Ron Elliot said. " I

firmly believe we need this test because I am a parent of a student

that sits all day in the lower level and has just been diagnosed

with asthma. "

Elliot said his son was medicine free two years ago, but since he

started fourth grade he has progressively gotten worse.

Fussell told Holt he believes under the director's supervision the

school system was taking the appropriate steps at Nannie Berry.

" We do continue to monitor monthly and we do continue to test, "

Director of Schools Benny Bills said. " This is not a problem to take

more samples and not a problem to test again from top to bottom. "

Holt is convinced that until every section of the school is

inspected to make sure there is no more mold in the building

students and teachers may still be in danger.

" My husband was helping in a classroom when the entire downstairs

was evacuated as a result of falling ceiling tiles, " Holt said. " He

watched an entire classroom of children walk through the white fog

as they were evacuated and this compromises the health of the

children. "

The school board has also voted to begin accepting bids for a new

HVAC system for Nannie Berry as a long term solution to the humidity

and mold problems in the school.

" It might be appropriate to use a third environmentalist for the

objectivity purpose to once and for all determine if there is any

continuing problem there at Nannie Berry, " Fussell said.