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Thursday, September 27, 2001
Parents voice concerns about Meadowbrook mold
Two types of mold found in annex building when an old air conditioner was removed
By Sara Lee Fernandez
Caller-Times
   About 15 parents showed up Wednesday at Meadowbrook Elementary School to voice their concerns and listen to CCISD officials explain a mold problem at the school, KRIS 6 News reported.
   Two types of mold, one of which can be highly toxic, were found in an annex building when an old air conditioning unit was being removed.
   "There was mold found," said Jesus Chavez, superintendent of Corpus Christi Independent School District. "The bad mold was encapsulated."
   The two molds that were found were stachybotrys, which is considered a toxic mold that can cause serious health problems if there is prolonged exposure, and chaetomium, a more common mold.
   The molds were found after leaks were noticed in the roof about two weeks after the heavy rains in late August, said Susan Howze, the school's principal.
   She said the children had already been moved out of the rooms because of pending repairs and that some teachers had noticed those rooms causing a strong odor.
   Allergy & Indoor Air Quality Lab in McAllen tested the molds.
   "There are a lot of unknowns in this field," Mani Skaria, director of the lab, explained to parents when asked how their children would be affected by the mold.
   According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention the chaetomium mold is commonly found in buildings but there is no accurate information about how common stachybotrys chartarum is found.
   Mold exposure does not always present a health problem indoors, according to the centers.
   However some people are sensitive to molds. These people may experience symptoms such as nasal stuffiness, eye irritation, or wheezing when exposed to molds. Some people may have more severe reactions to molds.
   The meeting did not alleviate the concerns of some of the parents attending the meeting.
   "The teacher told us about it," said Marisa Willis, whose 4-year-old daughter Jessica attends pre-kindergarten at the school. "I don't think they listened from the beginning,'' she said, adding that she isn't happy her daughter's early school experience includes exposure to mold.
   Other parents said they expect the school district to keep track of the problem closely.
   School officials said work on the annex would take four to six months and that everything would be replaced.


Contact Sara Lee Fernandez at 886-3767 or fernandezs@caller.com

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