Anonymous wrote:This is a real issue. Rolling Terrace Elementary had or has visible mold (I.e. tip of the iceberg). Teachers, employees, and parents should be concerned about the potentially adverse health impacts. Would love to have someone with health, environmental, or legal knowledge weigh-in. My gut tells me that if the mold was discovered at a "W" school he HVAC system would already have been replaced. There is a meeting at the school Monday at 6:30. All MCPS students deserve a healthy learning environment, yet MCPS Admin claims they don't have money and it's a CIP issue. Replace the 25+ year-old HVAC, and let's move on.

As a parent with 2 children who have had health impairments due to mold and other environmental issues at their schools, I fully sympathize with your situation. BTW - my children are in a "W" cluster. One child developed a sinus infection that required surgery. Missed 2 months of school. Another had such a bad asthma attack and skin rashes that my child could not go into the part of the building that had the issue till the mold was removed. In fact, that is how they discovered the problem because I asked for an inspection after my child had the reaction.

My advice:

First, send a letter to the principal asking for an environmental inspection and testing. If you know of specific health problems your child is currently having, put that in the letter to document.

Second, talk with the PTA. Does the PTA have funds for independent testing? The PTA should also talk with the Teacher Union Rep. at the school to see if the teachers have concerns.

Third, you can do your own inspection - look for sources of water (i.e. are any of the walls wet - particularly those that are in basements? hove there been roof leaks that have damaged ceiling tiles?). For mold to grow, it needs a water source. In rooms where it smells musty, pull out a ceiling tile to see what's going on where you can't normally see. Mold can grow on those tiles and it can also be growing on the walls above the tiles.

My suspicion is that the HVAC is not the issue. It may be spreading mold spores from the original source and/or the school is not properly changing the filter. However, if the source of the mold is not found, then an expensive change of the HVAC will not resolve the problem.

That is a very funny headline, because mold is never due to budget shortfalls. Mold is due to excess humidity.

This is a real issue. Rolling Terrace Elementary had or has visible mold (I.e. tip of the iceberg). Teachers, employees, and parents should be concerned about the potentially adverse health impacts. Would love to have someone with health, environmental, or legal knowledge weigh-in. My gut tells me that if the mold was discovered at a "W" school he HVAC system would already have been replaced. There is a meeting at the school Monday at 6:30. All MCPS students deserve a healthy learning environment, yet MCPS Admin claims they don't have money and it's a CIP issue. Replace the 25+ year-old HVAC, and let's move on.

http://www6.montgomerycountymd.gov/content/council/pdf/agenda/cm/2013/130415/20130415_ED4.pdf

Stimulating reading as to how the budget shortfalls/denied requests came to be.

"...the District is $28 million behind on capital improvement projects – which include repairing and replacing fire alarms and public address systems, water and sewer systems, floors, ceilings, windows and doors. It's a figure that will grow to $140 million by 2017, and $280 million by 2022 if nothing changes."

http://www.wjla.com/articles/2013/09/mold-at-takoma-park-elementary-school-due-to-budget-shortfalls-93967.html

"Due to budget shortfalls" Yet there's funding for fancy fliers in corporatespeak about that new program that's more important than buildings that aren't falling apart? http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/326120.page