Northeast School Wing to Remain Closed

Rockport, ME – A kindergarten class has been contaminated by mold and regarded as a severe health threat due to toxigenic mold.  This has not been good news for this area as Rockport is a small town labeled as the jewel of the east coast associated with tourists and artsy attractions. On the other hand, they are well respected for cleaning up a potential health hazard for the local children.  Many schools throughout the United States have failed to properly test or remediate moldy schools creating health problems among children and school personnel alike due to the high costs of proper remediation.  This failure to acknowledge this crisis has created much controversy among parents and educators in United States, who are very frustrated as many allegedly feign ignorance on this subject to avoid responsibility.

The local school board voted unanimously to keep kindergarten students out of a contaminated wing of Rockport Elementary East. Instead, that class will be held at the Camden Middle School for another year. The kids were moved to the middle school last month after the discovery of mold in the kindergarten wing of Rockport East. Most of the school has re-opened, but the problem wing is still locked.

The board still needs to decide on a long term solution to the mold problem. Repairing or rebuilding the wing could cost from 90 to 500 thousand dollars, which the towns of Rockport and Camden would have to pay themselves. If a new school is needed, it will cost about $8 million. This is the reason why so many school officials fail to identify this problem everywhere.

The town of Rockport is to be commended for doing the right thing and regarding the health of their children over budgetary constraints.  There is still much confusion regarding fungal exposure and children in schools.  Thousands of children every year suffer unresolved behavior problems and/or are misdiagnosed with ADHD, asthma, allergies, psychiatric disorders such as autism or Asperger’s Syndrome, Dyslexia, and learning disabilities when they are actually affected by toxigenic molds either in their homes or schools.  Fungal exposure, under certain conditions, has been linked to permanent neurological, pathological, immunological, and psychological problems and children are highly susceptible.

If you feel that your child’s school has a mold problem and it has affected your child, contact the Center for Disease Control (CDC) at  1-800-232-4636 or e-mail them.  We urge you to have as many concerned parents contact them.  Strength in numbers is much more effective in getting matters resolved.

Author: Carolyn Willbanks