The moldy walls, drafty kindergarten windows, and underground oil storage tank at the newly named Hildreth Elementary School were main topics in what School Committee Chairman Keith Cheveralls called “an informal exchange of information” with the Board of Health last week. In previous years relations between the two boards had been strained over such issues. But thirty minutes of give-and-take at the health board’s Feb. 9 meeting and an update on School Committee actions showed a proactive approach by both groups, contributing to an improved working relationship. Early in the meeting, Cheveralls said that he saw the recent, unannounced visit by BOH member Lorin Johnson to the elementary school as encouraging.
—Tom Phillipou,
Board of Health
The stimulus behind asking to be on the agenda, said Cheveralls, was OccuHealth’s recent positive evaluation of the elementary school. The environmental consultant does quarterly air-quality testing at HES, and had recommended in its latest report the removal of mold on walls by a qualified contractor. In addition, the inefficient K-wing windows need to be replaced, Cheveralls said, and the cost of that could approach $50,000. Discussion centered on ways to replace the windows without dislodging the mold that may be present in the walls’ cinderblock layer. Johnson saw an upgrade as a chance to revisit what might be visible within the walls, but that “a sealing process” described in a 2005 Board of Health Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) would need to be used.
Cheveralls asked if the wording in the MOU, which seemed to prohibit repairs for 10 years, meant that “we’re stuck with the facility” for another five years. Health board Chairman Tom Philippou replied that this interpretation was not his board’s intent, and the wording should not be seen to preclude upgrades. Remediation should always be possible, he said.
Once mold has been found in the walls, Cheveralls asked, “Does it always stay there?”
Philippou responded that once it’s there, untreated mold is there forever. “Look at New Orleans,” he said. “It was under water. There are treatments to eradicate mold that don’t involve having to level the buildings.” Chemical agents can be sprayed, with attention given to the school calendar and the presence of a student population, he added.
Mold “thrives off stagnant air,” said Johnson, and summertime is a critical period.
Windows would not be replaced during the school year, responded Cheveralls.“The good news is, we have a Facilities Committee that will report to you and provide you quarterly reports,” said Cheveralls.
The last item of discussion was the underground oil storage tank, which has been decommissioned. The elementary school is now running on more efficient and less costly gas, Cheveralls said. “The cost savings we won’t know until we’re past heating season,” he said, but with “a robust monitoring mechanism… substantial savings over time from gas” could be expected.
It was only a few years ago that the elementary school was plagued by mold, wet carpeting, leaky ceilings, and indoor air-quality issues. Relations between the School Committee and health board were tense, with either poor communication or blistering exchanges characterizing their interactions.
Problematic ventilation, sealing of holes and pipes, mold colonies in classrooms and a janitor’s closet, and the control of moisture coming from both inside and outside HES provided the basis for a series of State Department of Public Health and BOH Orders to Correct between 1999 and 2005. The April 2005 BOH order threatened the school with closure.
