Mold-Help.org - The world's largest TOXIC MOLD web site
  • Mold Basics
    • Mold Overview
    • Mold Symptoms
    • Mold Types & Images
    • Fungal Infections
  • Resources and Tools
    • Home Care
    • Health & Diet
    • Tips for Parents
    • Coping with Loss
    • Private Research
    • Legal Suggestions
    • Mold in the Bible
  • Mold News
    • Current Headlines
    • “Sick Buildings”
    • The Environment
    • Construction Industry
    • Govt. & Politics
    • The Workplace
    • Landlords & Tenants
    • Insurance Companies
    • Schools & Institutions
    • Strange Fungal Tales
    • Personal Mold Stories
    • Additional Articles
  • Agencies & Experts
  • About Mold-Help
    • Mold-Help News
  • Search
  • Menu
  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Mold in Schools Draining Funds

October 3, 2004/in Schools & Institutions /by Carolyn Willbanks

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – To protest a menace in their school, nearly 1,000 students at East High School in Memphis skipped homeroom one day. Across the state, another 1,000 students spent a month at Bristol Motor Speedway – not watching NASCAR races, but studying in the skyboxes while a threat was removed at Sullivan East High School. In each case, the problem was the same: mold.

Nationwide, school districts are finding allergy-inducing mold in walls, on carpets and near ventilation systems. While one report blames aging buildings and mold-promoting construction techniques, one expert says it’s due to a lack of proper ventilation in newer schools.

“It’s a growing problem, and it’s one of the more high-priority issues that schools are dealing with,” said Ericka Plater, indoor air quality manager for the American Association of School Administrators. Mold has forced some administrators to shut down schools and make millions of dollars in repairs. Others face lawsuits from students and staff who claim moldy buildings caused long-term health problems.

In Austin, Texas, voters approved a $49.3 million bond issue in February to pay for mold removal and preventive maintenance in 91 schools. In Fort Myers, Fla., several teachers sued county school officials last week, accusing them of failing to fix mold problems. In Tennessee, just before the Bristol students were forced out of their school, teenagers at Heritage High School about two hours away in Maryville got an unexpected four-week vacation when mold was found there. The repair estimate: $1 million. Memphis school board members called an emergency meeting after hundreds of students there refused to enter East High, which some parents described as a “mold-infested hazard.”

About 600 students received medical screenings after Donald Criss Mister Jr., 17, died Nov. 16 following an asthma attack. So far, no link has been found between the death and mold in the school, but the school board hired an environmental consultant, and federal inspectors with the Environmental Protection Agency news. Daily News will tour it Monday.

Sonji Wright, the mother of a student, told Superintendent Johnnie B. Watson that bringing in experts wasn’t enough.”My baby is on a respirator, Mr. Watson,” she screamed through a white mask that covered her nose and mouth in a sign of protest. “She cannot breathe, and what are you going to do about it?”

Mold problems usually go unnoticed until people become ill. No federal agency regulates or monitors air quality in schools, and few states inspect for it. In Tennessee, no state agency monitors mold in schools. “It’s really everybody’s problem because it’s such a new issue,” said Judith Morgan, the state Education Department spokeswoman. “That’s why it seems to be falling kind of between the cracks.”

Tennessee’s education department sent e-mail to school officials statewide Friday and directed them to an EPA Web site that offers guidance on air quality issues. Plater said a federal report suggests old, dilapidated schools might be more susceptible to mold. Others say the Gypsum wallboard and carpeted floors that replaced plaster and wood make newer schools a greater target because they soak up more moisture.

David Weekley, president of Knoxville-based Environmental Consulting and Testing, said the 1970s energy crisis prompted construction of more airtight schools. Less natural ventilation is part of the problem, he said. Another factor is the tendency of cash-strapped districts to delay maintenance and patch leaks, he said. Mold occurs naturally and can grow almost anywhere that’s warm and damp. Experts have identified more than 100,000 species of mold; at least 1,000 are common in the United States. While the most common molds generally aren’t hazardous, some types are blamed for headaches, fatigue and respiratory problems.

Sullivan County Schools director John O’Dell said the Bristol high school was shut down for about six weeks and $600,000 worth of repairs after children became ill and several classrooms tested positive for black mold, or Stachybotrys chartarum, which can cause breathing problems. The mold there was primarily around poorly insulated pipes that carry cold water throughout the building to cool classrooms. The pipes created condensation that dripped onto porous ceiling tiles, providing a breeding ground for mold. “I think we’re all more sensitive to it now,” O’Dell said. “We’ve told the principals and custodians to keep an eye out for any discolored tile and then replace it immediately.” by Bobby Ross Jr., Associated Press Writer

Share this entry
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on Reddit
  • Share by Mail
https://www.mold-help.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/moldhelp-654x300.png 0 0 Carolyn Willbanks https://www.mold-help.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/moldhelp-654x300.png Carolyn Willbanks2004-10-03 21:02:292019-02-22 21:35:56Mold in Schools Draining Funds

Mold News

  • Current Headlines
  • "Sick Buildings"
  • The Environment
  • Construction Industry
  • Govt. & Politics
  • The Workplace
  • Landlords & Tenants
  • Insurance Companies
  • Schools & Institutions
  • Personal Mold Stories
  • Strange Fungal Tales
  • Additional Articles

Latest Posts

  • Office and Commercial Buildings at Risk for Mold after COVID-19 Closings
  • COVID-19 Symptoms May Include Loss of Taste and Smell
  • New Mold Detox Information on the Horizon
  • COVID-19 Courses of Action
  • Stachybotrys
  • Simple and Easy Ways to Prevent the Coronavirus
  • Your Air Conditioning Unit Helps Eliminate Mold
  • Construction Workers Are Learning to Control Dust and Debris
  • Dangerous Mosquitoes Love Water
  • Insects in your Basement May be a Sign of Water Damage

Search Our Site:

Need Help with Mold?

Are you being affected by mold or other mycotoxins in your environment? Our team and community has over 15 years experience and can provide guidance. You can reach us by submitting your contact or through our Facebook page.

Have a Story to Share?

We're looking for stories and input to expand our database and to add to the personal experiences we've received from the thousands of victims over the last 15. If mold has impacted your life, please take the time to share your story. Your information is confidential and will only be shared with your permission.

Seeking Mold Experts

Are you an expert in the treatment of mold-affected health illnesses, or a provider of services to victims of mycotoxin exposure? Submit your information for listing consideration in our Agencies & Experts resource database.

Additional Resources

  • Contact Us
  • Sitemap
  • Glossary of Terms
  • Discussion Board
  • Survivor Resources
  • General Inquiries
  • Legal Disclaimer

© Copyright - Mold-Help Organization
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Mold Basics
  • Resources and Tools
  • Agencies & Experts
  • Mold News
  • About Mold-Help
Scroll to top

This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies.

OKLearn more

Cookie and Privacy Settings



How we use cookies

We may request cookies to be set on your device. We use cookies to let us know when you visit our websites, how you interact with us, to enrich your user experience, and to customize your relationship with our website.

Click on the different category headings to find out more. You can also change some of your preferences. Note that blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience on our websites and the services we are able to offer.

Essential Website Cookies

These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features.

Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, refuseing them will have impact how our site functions. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. But this will always prompt you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site.

We fully respect if you want to refuse cookies but to avoid asking you again and again kindly allow us to store a cookie for that. You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. If you refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our domain.

We provide you with a list of stored cookies on your computer in our domain so you can check what we stored. Due to security reasons we are not able to show or modify cookies from other domains. You can check these in your browser security settings.

Other external services

We also use different external services like Google Webfonts, Google Maps, and external Video providers. Since these providers may collect personal data like your IP address we allow you to block them here. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. Changes will take effect once you reload the page.

Google Webfont Settings:

Google Map Settings:

Google reCaptcha Settings:

Vimeo and Youtube video embeds: