After a handful of Tara Elementary parents complained about moldy conditions in two portable classrooms, Manatee County school district officials said they have already started a cleanup.

To assuage those parents' concerns, district officials plan to meet with them today to discuss the health problems they say their children have, after starting school at the portables.

"We haven't found anything significant there," said Forrest Branscomb, the district's risk manager. "We did find some things to correct."

In a report obtained by the Bradenton Herald, consultants hired by the district wrote that they found some sort of a leak from the toilet in one of the portables that led to several wet spots, condensation on some air vents and dirty fiberglass ceiling tiles with rat feces.

Students in one of the portables have been moved temporarily while district officials tear out and replace insulation, floors and one air-conditioning unit and filters, said Branscomb and Kary Apati, Tara's principal.

Another test was ordered for six other portables housing first-graders on Tara's campus, Branscomb said. The tests performed on the first two portables were visual inspections, and air samples were not taken.

Parent Jodie Roberts questioned why air samplings weren't taken.

Her son, along with other children, have been sick a lot.

"I know of three teachers that got sick in the portable," Roberts said. "The AC wasn't working properly, it's an ongoing thing."

Nine times out of 10, air samplings - comparing indoor and outdoor mold-spore counts - will show positive results, Branscomb said.

"Does that mean we don't have a problem? No," Branscomb said. "There is really no clear standard on testing. There is a time and a place for it (air sampling), but not on the initial evaluation."

If there is a mold problem, most of the time it is visible, he said. If the problems persist, then an air sampling may be ordered.

District officials say they immediately jumped on the problem when a teacher on Oct. 1 complained about health problems she thinks are related to the mold. Consultants were dispatched to Tara on Oct. 4 and 10 to assess the problem buildings.

The portables were placed at the school to help ease overcrowding. Tara Elementary was built in 1991, to house 747 students, Apati said. It currently has approximately 835 students.

The portables currently house 135 students. Most of the wooden buildings are between 15 and 30 years old, Branscomb said.

Mold problems in the district are not new. Palmetto Elementary, which was built more than 40 years ago, has been battling mold issues while officials figure out where to build a new campus. Parents at Oneco Elementary complained about similar problems in September.

Lisa Towell said she will attend today's meeting. She hopes some of her questions will be answered by district officials.

"We're hoping to hear that you're right, let's get rid of these portables," she said Monday.

While her 6-year-old Dana was now in a indoor classroom with fellow first-graders, Towell said she remained concerned for the other children in Tara's other portable classrooms.

"There's still seven portables (at Tara) with children in them," she said.

Since their story was published in the Bradenton Herald last week, Towell said other parents approached her while attending church service or shopping, echoing similar conditions at their child's Manatee school.

"So it's not just Tara," she said. "It's almost all the schools."

The problem with mold

Exposure to mold can cause health effects, worsen existing conditions or have no effect at all, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the Environmental Protection Agency.

It can trigger allergic reactions or asthma attacks, and some molds can produce toxins or irritants.
Those sensitive to molds can experience nasal stuffiness, eye irritation, wheezing or skin irritation, while severe reactions can cause fever and shortness of breath.

Mold is one of the most common problems found in portable classrooms nationwide, officials said.
The Manatee County school district has a complaint form for parents and staff if they want to report mold problems to district administrators.

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