Classroom Conditions
The current conditions in many of the older classrooms is not only unacceptable, it is a health hazard.
Leaking roofs and stained ceiling tile indicate only part of the problem, MOLD & MILDEW!
Many students and teachers experience headaches, chest congestion and other ailments. I hope these are the only physical problems we will experience.
These conditions have existed before the hurricanes. The storms just made them worse.
These are pictures from Seminole High School during spring of 2005.
Leaking area with mold.
Morning after a rain storm, notice the water on the floor and power like substance on the desk that falls from the ceiling tiles.
Incidentally this was approximately the same spot a very experienced district electrical worker was electrocuted to death 2 years ago.
Wet ceiling & water just outside electrical room.
Powdery substance falls from damaged ceiling tiles during the night.
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This was the spot a district worker experienced an electrical shock when he touched the light fixture.
Water leaks down from wet ceiling tiles when it rains.
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Mold coming through the walls in a classroom.
The school obviously knows about the problem, they placed a machine in this portable in an attempt to dry things out.
Note the mold on the air conditioning vents.
Many teachers have complained about the widespread mold and mildew problem. They have been told no money will be spent because new construction will take place in the coming years. The problem persists. One teacher who still complained after being hospitalized due to the mold, was reprimanded. No one would live in a home under these circumstances, yet students and teachers must spend every day under these circumstances. The health complications in years to come is unknown.
Good News sort of. In late April school district workers came in and replaced the ceiling tiles. The problem was they dropped the tiles with the 5th period students and me in the classroom. We asked to leave when the powder and debris caused all of us to cough and have a metal taste in our mouth. We were told to wait by administration. When the workers dropped more tiles, we started choking. I evacuated the classroom against administrative directives. I called administration from the parking lot and told them what had happened.
6th & 7th period classes were held at an alternate location. District workers told me all the debris and powder like material would need to be wet down and methodically removed. The next morning the room was cleaned. It was obvious it had been swept with a dry broom. The students and I had to wipe down the tables and equipment with damp paper towels. Now it seems we may have been exposed to asbestos.
The classroom looks much better, however the problem still exists above the ceiling tiles. The galvanized metal roof has disintegrated. The oxidized galvanized metal and asbestos insulation are still falling on top of the ceiling tiles.
Pictures above the ceiling tiles from May 2005.
Looks good, but the hazard still remains above these tiles. The pictures don't lie!
I wonder why administration refused to let me fill out an incident report. They said there was no hazard whatsoever. However the warning label from the new tiles indicate something else, lung cancer (Zoom in to see the details).
All the students present signed a statement to document the incident.
According to OSHA school districts are exempt from federal regulations and are supposed to be self-policing. From what I have seen this has permitted this district to ignore serious problems and put everyone at risk!