From the last:
14 days
30 days
60 days
All Articles
Mold
Student says mold, dust keeping her from school (#2137)
2012-02-06
Kaily Flynn wants to go to class, to spend time with her friends, to walk the halls of Lakeland High School during her final year.
But every time the senior walks in, she says her face gets puffy, her throat tightens, and she starts to wheeze.
After extensive allergy testing, her doctor came up with a plan: "avoid this school."
The Flynn family is blaming mold and dust at the high school and is asking administrators to take immediate action so perhaps Kaily can spend some of her senior year in school.
Featured Product
AirMedic+ Exec
$799.98 (UV light option extra)
The AirMedic+ provides superior particle control, variable speed control, a sealed motor, sure-seal gaskets and a UV light option for viruses, mold and bacteria.
Meanwhile, district officials say air-quality reports from recent testing show no major problems, but admit work must be done.
Efforts are under way to seek bids for replacement of the high school roof, which has been leaking for years.
Earlier this month, new school directors called the condition of the high school "deplorable" and vowed to make changes.
Kaily is worried it will be too late for her.
"I want to be in school for my senior year," Kaily said. "This is absolutely terrible."
Air-quality tests
Lakeland hired a firm to test the air last fall after Kaily and her family complained about a possible mold problem.
While the test report noted water-stained ceiling tiles and carpeting, no major air-quality problems were reported.
The district was advised by Cocciardi and Associates, which did the testing, to conduct scheduled maintenance on heating and cooling systems and to investigate and repair sources of water leaks.
Earlier this month, the Lakeland School Board unanimously authorized Performance Roofing Associates to prepare bid specifications for replacement of the high school roof.
The authorization came after a board tour of the school that revealed "deplorable" bathrooms, dirty heating ducts, worn and stained carpets, missing fire extinguisher safety covers and the leaking roof.
In order for anything else to be fixed in the school, the roof needs to be addressed first, said Director John Yanochik. Five new directors, including Mr. Yanochik, took seats on the board in December.
The board will also soon make sure the ventilation system is thoroughly cleaned.
"Some of those vents appear to have not been cleaned since the school opened," he said.
New Director Greg Kopa also went on the tour. He said he wants to see a more in-depth air-quality analysis completed.
"We're trying to do the right thing," Mr. Kopa said. "The safety and security of our students is one of the most important things."
Efforts to reach Lakeland Superintendent Margaret Billings-Jones, Ed.D., were unsuccessful.
Graduation concerns
Though Kaily has attended the school since 10th grade, this summer she had her tonsils out and a deviated septum fixed, and with that, came dramatically improved breathing.
When she started school in the fall, she immediately became sick, and then went to see allergist Joel Laury, M.D.
Tests showed she was allergic to dust and several kinds of mold, according to her medical records, which her family provided to The Sunday Times.
Unable to spend prolonged time at school, a teacher visits her outside of school for five hours a week.
With only about four months left until graduation, Kaily is already worried whether she will be able to attend the ceremony - scheduled for the high school auditorium.
"You send your kid to school thinking they're going to be safe. Then they have health problems," Kaily's mother, Jackie Flynn, said.
"What we're trying to do is not just for her. It's for the other kids who don't know why they're sick."
Source: The Times-Tribune
Author: Sarah Hofius Hall
Kaily Flynn wants to go to class, to spend time with her friends, to walk the halls of Lakeland High School during her final year.
