School Superintendent James Gaylord assures parents that Hampton Academy Junior High is not a sick building.
 
But it doesn’t exactly sound healthy either.
 
It is an older building, and problems do tend to crop up in older structures.
 
But faculty members had been complaining about health problems for some time and some suspected the environment inside the building might have been responsible.
 
Last month, the results of a three-month investigation by consultants during the winter were reported to school officials.
 
In the report, it was found that the building was too hot, had slightly elevated levels of carbon dioxide, and three types of molds that produce spores and toxins that can cause cold and flu symptoms, diarrhea, upset stomach, eye, nose and throat irritation, respiratory irritation, headaches and fatigue.
 
It should be noted that the report makes it clear that the heat and carbon dioxide issues were not dangerous and that the two more serious types of mold were found only in specific areas rather than throughout the building.
 
But one of those areas was in the office of the school resource officer. And the school resource officer recently went on medical leave for “health-related issues” that neither school nor police officials would specify.
 
They still have not specified the issues, but the consultant’s reports links the mold and his health.
 
Which brings us to the irksome point.
 
If the building is not sick or dangerous, as the superintendent insists, why did it take a copy of the report being obtained by this newspaper before the general public became aware of its contents?
 
A letter should have been sent to parents, informing them of the findings of the report and outlining the steps being taken to rectify the situation.
 
It is just one more instance of public schools trying to keep public information private.
 
Some parents are clearly going to be concerned. They are going to ask questions and demand answers.
 
In what appears to be an effort to keep parents in the dark until after the mold was removed (scheduled during school vacation week), school officials likely have hurt their credibility and caused anger and resentment in some parents.
 
The School Board just recently promised to try to be better about communication.
It didn’t have to be this way.
 

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