This summer’s rain, heat and high humidity caused mold to grow throughout many Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS).
“It’s one of the issues we dealt with this summer,” said MCPS Superintendent Dr. Thomas Taylor. Forty HVAC systems throughout the district’s 211 school campuses “are really on chewing gum and duct tape,” he said.
“It’s completely unacceptable for us,” he said.”We are absolutely remediating [the mold, especially at a] handful of schools.”
Goshen Elementary School is one of those campuses.
“The mold is visible,” said Donesha Price, a parent who told MCM she has seen mold on furniture, walls, ceilings, bulletin boards, equipment (like computers) and chairs.
“Mold is growing from the ceiling. It’s incredible,” said Price, noting that the mold is particularly bad on the first floor in the first and third grade areas.
“It’s so bad you can smell it. I got overwhelmed just being in the classroom,” Price said. “Teachers are visibly sick.”
“[Mold] grows where there is moisture, such as around leaks in roofs, windows, or pipes, or where there has been a flood. Mold grows on paper, cardboard, ceiling tiles, and wood. Mold can also grow in dust, paints, wallpaper, insulation, drywall, carpet, fabric, and upholstery,” according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Mold can cause irritation of the nose, throat, eyes and skin, according to Montgomery County Chief Health Officer Dr. Kisha Davis. It is worse for some people, especially those allergic to mold or with other health problems.
It is important to alleviate the problem causing the mold and to get rid of the mold that formed. “Even dead mold can cause a reaction,” said Dr. Davis.
