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Parents rip school officials over mold
by DENNIS SHAUGHNESSEY , Sun Staff
DRACUT -- A crowd of angry parents verbally pummeled school administrators last night, demanding to know what they knew about the serious mold problem at the Parker Avenue School and when did they know it.
"Our children's lives were being affected and we weren't notified," said the mother of a second-grader, who did not give her name. "That is totally irresponsible."
Two modular units at the school were closed on Sept. 15, but parents were not given a reason until Sept. 22. The units, which housed two fourth-grade classrooms, a library and a computer lab, were demolished on Monday.
At last night's meeting, held at Dracut High School and attended by about 50 parents, Superintendent of Schools Elaine Espindle presented parents with test results of the main Parker Avenue School building, conducted by EFI Global of Andover. No one from the company or the Board of Health were on hand to interpret the results, leaving parents more frustrated.
"I find it appalling that nobody is here to tell us what any of this means," said another parent. "Even Mrs. Espindle admits she doesn't understand it. Can somebody please tell us if it's safe to send our kids to school?"
Andrew Graham, the district's supervisor of buildings and grounds, said four areas of the main building were tested for spores, fungus and airborne microbial particles.
"It tested clean," said Graham.
But parents worried that mold was carried into the main building when children and equipment were transferred. Espindle told them that all the books were taken away and would be replaced with new materials. But parents insisted that the building be retested and experts be brought to a future meeting to share their results. Graham reluctantly agreed.
One after another, and sometimes all at once, parents complained that information was hard to come by throughout the two-week ordeal. Espindle laid out a timeline of events that did little to allay concerns. She said she was notified on Sept. 11 that one of the fourth-grade teachers was having trouble staying in the room.
"As soon as we knew there was a problem, we acted immediately," Espindle said.
Classes were moved, as was the library and the computer lab, but notices never went out to the parents. In addition, the building was open as late as Sept. 14, when a parent-orientation night was held. Parents were incensed to think that they attended the event, some with their children who were wearing pajamas.
"You got to be kidding me," said one man. "Is this the gang that couldn't shoot straight? Do you think I would have brought my kids if I had known?"
The next day, a Friday, students who were in the modular units were moved into the main building. Testing began the following Monday and still, parents knew only what their children were telling them. On Thursday of that week, Sept. 21, notices went home with the students, informing parents that field trips would take place on Monday, but they were not told why. Automated telephone messages, explaining the problem and announcing the demolition, went out to all the parents that evening.
Parents also let Espindle know that their preference would be to keep all the classes at the Parker, even though crowding and comfort may become an issue.
Espindle gave parents several options, designed to make room at the school, including moving either the kindergarten classes or the fourth-grade to other schools in the district.
Parents were still fuming as they left the meeting, although one parent defended the administration.
"Of course, we all would have like to have known what was going on, but realistically, all they could have given us was partial information and these parents would still be complaining," said the woman, who would not give her name.
Seventeen parents signed on to form an ad-hoc committee that will monitor future testing as well as the possible reconfiguration of the classes.
| http://www.lowellsun.com/front/ci_4417428
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