Aug 20, 2007 4:12 pm US/Eastern
Mold Delays Start Of School For Hundreds
LAKE ZURICH, Ill. (CBS) ―
The start of school will be delayed for hundreds of students in Illinois after flood waters earlier this month left behind a serious health problem.
CBS Chicago reports classes for the 440 students at May Whitney Elementary School could start as late as September 10th.
May Whitney Elementary is closed indefinitely after cleaning crews found asbestos and the black mold, Stachybotrys, underneath wet carpeting after a recent flood.
The so-called "toxic mold" is associated with a variety of symptoms including sore throats, irritated eyes, and coughing. The mold and asbestos are now being removed.
Parents packed a meeting Monday to discuss the future of the school and the safety of their children.
"Besides mold and asbestos, is this safe?" one parent asked.
The district plans to move the elementary students to the adjacent Lake Zurich Middle School North, which is vacant.
Many parents expressed concern that although the two schools are in separate buildings, they are connected by a common hallway.
Dr. Brian Knutson, Superintendant of District 95, tried to reassure parents. "That hallway already has been sealed partially its going to be totally sealed so that there is no issue," he said.
Heidi DeRousse, a mother of three, had special concerns because her children have asthma.
"I just want to make sure that it's a safe environment, that the air is safe and there's no mold here," DeRousse said.
The students could be at the middle school for the next four years, and as long as they're there, the district has promised to regularly test the air for mold.
The district says the school could be ready for students as early as September 4th or as late as the 10th. They plan to hold another meeting this Wednesday, and say they'll alert parents when they know what day classes can begin.
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