Schools work to prevent mold-related problems

By WILL STEWART / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard

Warren County Schools maintenance director Donnie Caldwell, left, and general maintenance foreman David Bates inspect the air intake portion of a classroom unit ventilator at the high school. (Will Stewart photo)

As local and state school buildings are getting older, Warren County Schools maintenance director Donnie Caldwell said mold prevention efforts here and across the state are quickly becoming a high priority.

“While we do have the occasional indoor air quality complaints, we’ve been lucky in that so far we haven’t had any mold problems. Our focus now is on prevention. We’re trying to stay ahead of the game,” he said.

Mold in schools, and its related health hazards, has become an issue recently as mold infestations have forced the closing of schools and parts of schools in several counties across the state. Last Saturday, a Memphis high school student died from an asthma attack which might have been mold-related.

Locally, Caldwell said, the indoor air quality of all county schools has been closely monitored since the 1998 “toxic fumes” incident at Warren County High School.

As mold is often caused by excessive dampness and lack of proper air ventilation, Caldwell said special attention is paid to the county’s older schools – Bobby Ray, Centertown and Warren County Middle – as well as old gymnasiums at Morrison, Dibrell and Irving College.

Maintenance officials check the condition of each county school’s HVAC system at least once a month (twice a month at the larger schools) when they change the air filters. Cleaning of the systems is done on an as-needed basis. A full cleaning of each HVAC, including ventilation ducts, coils and pans, is performed every summer.

Caldwell added the school system’s HVAC consultant, Tom Higgins, does an annual survey of the system’s HVAC systems.

Additionally, he said, HVAC equipment and filters are slowly being upgraded and his department is now studying cleaning products specifically designed to combat mold.

As mold in schools has become a more high-profile issue, he said his department has received several calls from teachers who think they’ve spotted the fungus.