Update - The News 4 Investigators Dig Deeper into School Mold Complaints

[Guest guest]

a Heartquist Reports

The News 4 Investigators Dig Deeper into School Mold Complaints

KVOA.com - Tucson,AZ

Nov 10, 2006 07:36 AM EST

http://kvoa.com/Global/story.asp?S=5660124 & nav=HMO6HMaW

News 4 has some answers in an on-going investigation into mold

complaints at Ventana Vista Elementary School.

It all began two months ago with a short newspaper article about

damage at the school from the summer monsoon.

The Investigators' a Heartquist started getting calls from

employees who told her the Catalina Foothills School District has

not fully disclosed to staff and students... that there have been

ongoing mold complaints at the school for years.

We attempted to talk to the Principal and Associate Superintendent

but neither initially agreed to sit down for an interview.

So The Investigators did some digging on our own... and we now have

documents detailing a history of mold dating back to 1999... and for

the first time a district official answers our question

After numerous phone calls to Terry Downey, the Associate

Superintendent at the Catalina Foothills School District... she

finally agreed to talk to us.

Our interview lasted about an hour.

We discussed many topics.

At the top of the list... why the district told parents water issues

at the school appeared recently... when the documents The

Investigators obtained show the water and subsequent mold complaints

have been around for years.

" It's been... YEARS, " says one teacher that asked that we hide her

identity.

Another says, " Right now not only do we have to fight for that

healthy environment for our children, for our students, but also for

ourselves. "

" I think maybe whatever trust we had is gone, " says another

concealed teacher at Ventana Vista Elementary School.

After we agreed to protect their identities... teacher... after

teacher came forward to tell News 4 months ago about a mold problem

at Ventana Vista Elementary School.

They told us... it's a problem years in the making... seven years in

fact.

The principal, Kim Bowling and Assistant Superintendent, Terry

Downey originally did not agree to an interview.

In fact, after our story aired with the teacher concerns... they

sent home a letter to parents stating... " The Catalina Foothills

School District is addressing and working to repair the recent water

damage caused by our wetter-than-normal summer monsoons. "

Recent water damage? That statement made some teachers furious.

" The problem has been there for many years, " said one of them.

So which is it... on going issues or recent water troubles?

News 4 requested all documents relating to mold, water damage and

rain dating back to 1999.

And some of what we found... an email DATED 1999, which talks about

getting rid of mold.

It was sent from a teacher to the former principal at Ventana Vista.

In another, dated 2000... a teacher says she discovered " black mold

growing on the walls " when she took a poster down.

Another email from 2003... mentions mold found in two places.

An email from 2005 talks about leaks in the classroom and adds " We

want to avoid new mold developing. "

Another states there's " ...water on the floor and mold on the wall. "

And some from just this year... a " custodial closet that appears to

have considerable mold " and another which says, " according to the

staff who has complained for years about this, it is affecting

lives. "

The documents tell a story of on-going water issues... so we went

back to the district to request another interview.

Assistant Superintendent Terry Downey agreed to sit down with us.

News 4's a Heartquist asked, " Do you admit, because we have the

paperwork to prove, that there was mold at this school prior to the

recent rains? "

Downey answered, " There's mold everywhere, we all live with mold.

Even if we had a perfectly clean room, you would be tracking it in

on your clothes and your shoes. "

News 4 also asked, " Are you admitting, yes or no, that there has

definitely been a history of mold problems? "

" There's been a history of water leaks in this building and water

creates an environment in which mold can grow, " answered Downey.

" Don't you think you're being somewhat complacent- ah, we just found

some mold... " we asked.

Downey told us, " Mold is everywhere. This was in 1999 and someone

found some mold and believe me, maintenance went out and addressed

it. It's one classroom, one spot behind a poster. "

News 4 replied, " This is one classroom, I mean- would you like {us}

to show you the nearly fifty emails I have regarding the other

classrooms? "

Downey says those emails from teachers are not proof of problems

because they are not experts in mold removal or air quality.

" I think we have very competent, capable and caring teachers here,

but that doesn't mean that they are experts in air quality issues. "

So what do the experts say?

Maggie Michel is a certified mold inspector. She says she went to

the front office at Ventana Vista after she says she received about

a dozen calls from concerned parents.

" It smelled so bad, the micro toxins coming off of the mold in there

just filled the air and it was just a bad, bad smell, " Michel said.

She says she offered her air purification services free of charge to

the school but says she was turned down.

Downey says she's unaware of that offer but says the district has

its own experts... " East Valley Disaster Unit " to remove mold

and " Health Effects " to test the air quality.

" All of the air quality tests in that school have come back normal, "

she said.

So where are those documents?

Downey told News 4, " We don't have any tests to show you- positive

or otherwise, but we have been told that all of them are coming back

normal. "

But some teachers are not ready to believe the districts findings.

" We're now even afraid to trust that the rooms will be safe even

when Terry tells us they are. "

Those same teachers tell me they want an independent air quality

test done.

But the district is not under any obligation to perform outside

testing.

" There are no State or Federal laws on mold or mold remediation. "

Breck Grumbles is the president " Abracadabra Restoration. "

He has no knowledge of the issues at Ventana Vista... but says

there's only one way to really get rid of mold.

" Source removal is the proper way to do mold remediation. " He

adds, " You need to remove it from the building- you need to remove

the building material it's growing on. "

Downey is convinced the district is taking necessary steps to

maintain a healthy environment at Ventana Vista.

" We involve experts in making sure that our classrooms are safe

places for employees and for students and we believe they are, " she

says.

Some teachers say only now after our investigation the district is

addressing the mold problem with expert contractors versus school

maintenance workers.

So what's next in this investigation?

News 4 is waiting for the official results from air quality tests

conducted by the school district.

We'll keep you posted.