St. East High ailment list grows

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St. East High ailment list grows

By Marie-Anne Hogarth

STAFF WRITER

Not just mold: Consultant's report details more problems with building

ST. CHARLES - The St. School Board meets Monday night to discuss

the results of a study of the indoor air quality at St. East High

School - closed since March when toxic mold was discovered there.

The long-awaited study by the South Carolina-based AAA Environmental

reports areas of more than 30-square-feet of the mold Stachybotrys

chartarum, as well as many other species of fungal contamination. Symptoms

of exposure to Stachybotrys include headaches, malaise, fever, nosebleeds,

flu, coughs, rhinitis and dermatitis.

But the list of problems extends far beyond mold, according to the

report, including water from a kitchen faucet with high levels of lead;

tiles and ceiling grids with bacteria levels eight times greater than the

amount thought to have health repercussions; improper storage of food and

chemicals; a dead bird in one of the air intakes; plumbing and roof leaks;

contaminated carpets indicating inadequate housekeeping; and structural

problems with the building on Dunham Road.

There are major problems with the school's walls and moisture is unable

to seep out of the structure. All drywall where fungal growth is found will

have to be removed, according to the report.

So will fiberboard sheathing under the drywall. The fiberglass insulation

will have to be replaced. So will brick walls, which absorb water and cause

mortar to deteriorate, and windows, which are missing wall flashing.

The ducts from the heating ventilation and air conditioning system need

to be replaced. Because they are contaminated, the likelihood is that there

is contamination throughout the entire building, the report said.

Spray-applied fireproofing, present through parts of the building, needs

to be removed, because it is contaminated.

And the report's list goes on.

In the Dunham Wing (a building that houses science, applied technology

and home economics classrooms, as well as faculty offices) a concrete wall

needs to be completely replaced.

In the West Gym, the hardwood floor needs to be replaced. A structural

engineer needs to check the cracks in the gym's west wall. Roof leaks in the

stairwell entrances to the mezzanine need to be fixed.

Some rooms have mold-infested cabinets that need to be replaced.

" Funds for the repairs of the school have been in the millions, " the

consultants write. " However it appears that the budget and execution of the

repairs were not conducted in a methodical manner. "

The study, the size of several telephone directories, is mainly data and

test results performed by AAA Environmental.

St. School Superintendent Francis Kostel said members of the

School Board would be reviewing the data at Monday's meeting, at 7:30 p.m.

in the North High School auditorium.

Kostel said the board will be consulting with an advisory panel of

experts, which includes professionals from doctors to engineers, as well as

reviewing a report by the Illinois State Board of Education architect.

While the goal is still re-entry into the building on Sept. 4, several

contingency plans have been proposed, said Kostel. Solutions range from

mobile classrooms to delaying the start of school.

A school advisory committee this week discussed some 37 solutions to the

school's problems and five scenarios were presented.

One possibility discussed would be to move all East High School students

to Wredling Middle School, said St. North Principal Kesman.

This would require moving all sixth-graders to St. North. Seventh

and eighth graders could be moved to shared operation at Haines and

middle schools.

" There has been dialogue about the readiness of sixth-graders moving to

the high school environment, " said Kesman, reminding the School Board that

staffing issues would be equally complex.

Despite a need to resolve the situation, Kostel said not to expect a

decision right away. He said that other schools around the country had faced

greater difficulties, and still reopened.

Kane County Regional School Superintendent Clem Mejia added that he was

in contact with officials in Springfield about the possibility of getting

funds either for building remediation or for school construction.

Beacon-News correspondent Girardi contributed to this report.

06/16/01