VIDEO: Kromrey Middle School To Re-Open Friday 10 p.m. Report 9/8/10

VIDEO: Mold Problems 10pm 9/3/2010

VIDEO: Mold Closes Kromrey Middle School 6 p.m. Report 9/1/10

VIDEO: Mold Closes Kromrey Middle School 10 p.m. Report 8/31/10

UPDATED: Thursday, September 30, 2010 -- 1 a.m.

Dear Kromrey Parents and Guardians,

The make-up time and days for Kromrey Middle School has been set. The new schedule will begin on Monday, October 4.

The missed time will be made up by adding a combination of two additional days and 16 additional minutes at the beginning of each day through first semester. The adjusted daily schedule is available on the Kromrey
website. The details are below:

Kromrey students will attend school Friday, November 12 (Parent/Teacher Conference Day) and Monday, January 24 (Teacher Work Day). Bus transportation and school lunch will be available.

From October 4 – January 24, school hours will be 7:54 a.m. – 3:20 p.m.
Parent/Teacher conferences will be held outside of regular school hours like they are during second semester.

Teachers will communicate directly with parents about specific dates and times.

The additional minutes each day will only require a change to bus route #37. New bus stop times for this route will be available on the Bus Stop Locator this afternoon and parents of students on the route will receive a
phone call tonight. All other bus routes will run as currently scheduled.
Many options to make up the missed time were considered. This option was selected for several reasons:

The missed time is restored during the first semester, which is especially important for semester-only
classes.

The additional days were scheduled based on historical student attendance patterns. Days with already or potentially high absence rates (days before/after breaks, extending days into summer, etc) were avoided to maximize the amount of instructional time for all students.

Kromrey students missed a total of 39.7 hours of instructional time. This option will add 31.9 hours of instruction to first semester, which builds back the two potential snow days that all schools in the district now have. It also results in adding more time than required by the Department of Public Instruction.

In addition to maintaining a safe and healthy learning environment, our priority is to provide a schedule which will maximize student achievement. The dedicated Kromrey staff will continue to work hard to teach and engage their students during every moment of instruction.

Sincerely,
Dr. Donald Johnson
Superintendent

_____________________________________________________________

UPDATED: Thursday, September 9, 2010 --- 6:09p.m.

Release from Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District:

FINAL TESTS AT KROMREY MIDDLE SCHOOL SHOW NO MOLD
Remaining Two Rooms Cleared After Additional Cleaning and Testing

We just received news that the final air quality tests indicate that all of Kromrey Middle School is within the acceptable range and safe for students and staff. The two rooms, Room 150 and the kitchen, with higher mold count levels have come back with a mold spore count of zero.

Room 150 will be ready for students tomorrow and no moves to another classroom will be necessary. The kitchen will need a day to organize and restock with food so we will still plan to serve sack lunches on Friday. Regular school lunch will be available on Monday.

Staff spent the day preparing their classrooms and are excited to welcome their students on Friday. The entire building is ready for a great 2010-11 school year.

_____________________________________________

UPDATED: Wednesday, September 8, 2010 --- 9:20 p.m.
REPORTER: Chris Woodard

Tonight Kromrey Middle School students find out their first day of school will be Friday.

They're had a week and a half delay because of a mold problem and now some parents question whether it's safe to send their kids back.

At a parent meeting tonight there was plenty of conversation about how school days would be made up and if education would suffer but for those students most at risk safety is still a concern.

Mother Amy Wepfer says, "I don't want anything to hurt the kids."

With a son who has severe allergies a mold problem at school is serious business.

Wepfer says, "He takes shots for asthma and if the school is not safe he can really get ill from it."

Like many parents Wepfer was surprised to find out the night before the first day of school class had been canceled because of a mold problem.

After 8 days of cleaning district officials met tonight to assure parents the school is now safe.

Administrators say at this point tests show mold levels inside the building are actually lower than they are in the fresh air outside.

But one classroom did not pass the air test and will be closed.

There is also still concern about the kitchen so Friday sack lunches will be brought in.

Wepfer says, "That does make me nervous."

She isn't alone in her concerns. This definitely isn't how Molly Grindle imagined starting sixth grade.

Her mother Bridget says, "She does have allergies and I'm very concerned about that."

School officials say they've operated by the "better safe than sorry" motto from the beginning and they wouldn't send kids back unless they were positive the building was now safe.

Superintendent Don Johnson says, "You can step inside the building and breathe cleaner air than you can outside the building."

As for the time lost the school board will weigh several options on how to make it up.

Tonight district officials took parent input on several options but Johnson says they're likely looking at 2 additional days of class during previously scheduled off days like parent teacher conferences or spring break.

They're also considering making each day a few minutes longer.

_____________________________________________________

UPDATED Wednesday, September 8, 2010 --- 5:45 p.m.

Official Announcement from Kromrey Middle School:
Air Quality Test Results Indicate School is Safe for Students

The following letter has been sent to parents:

I am pleased to announce that Kromrey Middle School will be open for students on Friday, September 10. The Kromrey staff is eager to welcome your children and get the school year started.

The mold counts inside Kromrey are below outdoor levels and exceed acceptable standards for occupancy with two exceptions. One classroom (150) did not meet acceptable standards, and is being cleaned again. This classroom has been retested with results expected Thursday afternoon. Students scheduled in this classroom will utilize another classroom in the building. Once the classroom is tested and cleared, students will return.

The kitchen met a minimum standard, however, additional cleaning to bring it below outdoor levels is being completed. School lunches will be served on Friday, but will be sack lunches prepared off site in the central kitchen.

Staff will be working on Thursday to get their classrooms and the building ready for students. Parents and students will not be allowed into the building until Friday so staff can remain focused on preparing their classrooms and custodians can install the new furniture that has arrived so far.

We will continue to conduct periodic testing of air quality to ensure that Kromrey is a healthy and safe environment for all students and staff. We are also creating a plan to prevent future mold and air quality problems. Our commitment is, as always, the safety of your children.

The Wednesday meeting for Kromrey parents will be recorded and available online by Thursday afternoon for those unable to attend. More information can also be found on the district website at www.mcpasd.k12.wi.us/kmsmold.cfm.

We are looking forward to welcoming students and starting the school year at Kromrey Middle School.

Sincerely,

Dr. Donald Johnson
Superintendent

________________________________________________________

UPDATED: Friday, September 3, 2010 --- 9:10 p.m.

First, the start of school was pushed back one week and now another delay.

A mold problem at Kromrey Middle School in Middleton has kids back to class next Friday at the earliest.

This headache keeps getting worse for the school district and parents as the mold problem is proving harder to get rid of than anyone thought.

Tina Spellman knows her child's safety is most important.

But when we broke the news to her that Kromrey Middle School would stay closed for another week she wasn't looking forward to telling her son.

She says, "I think initially having a couple days off was nice but he's looking forward to getting back to school."

Mold in the 47-year-old school had administrators worried enough about kids safety that they decided to call off the first day of school Tuesday night only hours before kids were set to arrive.

Three days later the cleanup still isn't completed and they won't be allowing kids back in until next Friday at the earliest.

Spellman says, "I'm glad they're being careful and taking it seriously."

Tonight school officials released pictures showing the problem for the first time.

Anything with significant mold, like the cafeteria tables, is being thrown away and everything else cleaned from top to bottom.

The cleaning company was supposed to be done this afternoon at the latest but they are still at the school and will be cleaning until sometime Sunday.

Superintendent Donald Johnson says, "The primary reason for the change is the complexity and probably the detail work that we expected with the cleaning process."

It means a total of 6 days the kids may have to make up.

Johnson says, "Everybody knows the options on break are spring break, winter break and maybe the teachers convention. Those are the only days we have to work with."

For now it just means three more days at home.

Spellman says, "I'm glad that he's an eighth grader and that he's old enough that we don't have to make child care arrangements."

The biggest question we're hearing from parents is why wasn't this taken care of over the summer. Why are administrators first trying to to get this cleaned up after the school year was set to start?

The simple answer is no one saw the mold until Tuesday and the superintendent says that's because it wasn't visible until then.

________________________________________________________

UPDATED Friday, September 3, 2010 --- 5:00 p.m.

Press Release from the Middleton-Cross Plains School District

Middleton, WI , September 3, 2010 -- Kromrey Middle School will stay closed through Thursday and reopen on Friday, September 10, assuming the air quality testing is within a safe and acceptable range.

A safe and healthy learning environment for all students is our highest priority. The process of cleaning and mitigating mold was more involved than originally judged by consultants. A decision to do more thorough and comprehensive cleaning was made to ensure that every area of the building will be healthy and ready for students. Although this is not the toxic, black mold you’ve read about in the news, it can cause problems for those with compromised immune or respiratory systems and those who are allergic to it.

The Aspergillus/Penicillium mold at Kromrey is surface growth due to the high humidity level in the school. The HVAC system was not able to sufficiently reduce the humidity nor provide proper ventilation to prevent mold growth during the last two weeks of August, which were some of the most humid on record in the Madison area. Visible mold only began to appear at the end of August when it was discovered by Kromrey staff.

Every resource available is being employed to clean the mold and reduce the humidity levels in the building. The entire building is in the process of being thoroughly cleaned and disinfected by a professional mold remediation company. The following measures are being used:

• Placing the affected areas in containment and using negative air flow with HEPA filtering to create air exchanges. This refreshes and replaces the air inside the building.
• Cleaning all surfaces, including duct work, using an appropriate antimicrobial product and HEPA vacuuming.
• Extensive dehumidification and air filtering/cleaning is also being completed.
• Removing and disposing of all unnecessary or un-cleanable materials from the school.
• Reinspecting and retesting air quality after each area is cleaned and disinfected.

Some of the building contents such as furniture, books, files and all cafeteria tables have been removed and discarded. That which could be cleaned was, while other more porous items that could not be safely cleaned had to be discarded.

We may be required to schedule make-up days and/or hours to meet the Department of Public Instruction requirements. We have not determined how and when the time will be scheduled. We will communicate this information to you as soon as possible.

We know you may have many more questions and we will work to answer those as quickly as possible. A frequently asked question document with more information is available on the district website will be updated throughout the process. We will also hold an information session for Kromrey parents on Wednesday, September 8. Specific time and location will be announced next week.

Kromrey staff will return to the building on Thursday to organize their classrooms and prepare materials for students to arrive on Friday.

We appreciate your understanding and patience as we work to resolve this problem. The somewhat unpredictable nature of this situation combined with the irregularities of an old building mean it is possible that plans could change. We will keep you updated through email and the district website. Please submit any questions to feedback@mcpasd.k12.wi.us which we will add to our Frequently Asked Questions document.

We look forward to welcoming your students to Kromrey next Friday and getting back to the excitement of learning in a healthy school environment. Our priority is to have Kromrey students back in the classroom as soon as possible.

_________________________________________________________

UPDATED: Wednesday, September 01, 2010 --- 5:25 p.m.
REPORTER: Chris Woodard

A mold problem at Kromrey Middle School delays the first day of school keeping hundreds of kids home due to safety concerns.

The last minute decision has some parents scrambling.

Mother Leslie Land says, "That's kind of scary. There could be a lot of sick people."

This mother is just glad they found the problem when they did.

She says, "I'm very happy that they didn't have the kids go. I'm very thankful for that. I just wish like a lot of other parents we would have known a little earlier."

On the first day of school at Kromrey Middle School a sign on the door greeted anyone who showed up, no school because of a mold problem.

Parents were notified around 8 o'clock last night.

Land says, "Like any parent I had plans. I have things I have to do so I have to reshuffle but it's easier because I'm home."

Staff decided the building wasn't safe for kids and defend the late decision by saying they didn't spot the mold until last week and initially thought small scale cleaning would get rid of the problem.

Superintendent Donald Johnson says, "We're not talking about big splotches of black or white. The building was cleaned and really it wasn't detectable until the 24th really."

Results of air samples yesterday showed the problem was more wide spread than they thought so they shut things down.

Air was being forced out of the building today, a professional company on hand to clean the building from top to bottom.

Families won't be allowed access to the building all week. Our cameras weren't allowed inside either and by late this morning even teachers were told they had to be out.

We were there at 11 o'clock when those left were told to leave.

It's a quiet building and an unintended extension of summer vacation.

Johnson says, "We're always going to err on the side of safety."

The superintendent describes the situation as a perfect storm of hot, humid weather combined with an old building that has poor ventilation.

The district should know by Saturday if it's safe for kids to come back Tuesday.

_______________________________________________________

UPDATED Tuesday, August 31, 2010 --- 8:00 p.m.

Updated letter sent to parents:

Dear Kromrey Parents and Guardians,

There will be no school at Kromrey Middle School this week due to a mold problem in parts of the building. We anticipate reopening on Tuesday, September 7 pending the air sampling lab results.

Lab results indicated elevated levels of Aspergillus/Penicillium. It is not considered toxic to a healthy person, but can be harmful to those with immune compromised respiratory systems or specific allergies to the microbial species.

We are working with Environmental Management Consulting, Inc to analyze the situation and help us find the most effective and efficient solution. We have also contracted with a professional mold remediation and cleaning agency and during the next six days the entire building will be thoroughly cleaned from top to bottom. The following measures will be taken to eliminate the source of the microbial growth:

-Place the affected areas in containment and use negative air with HEPA filtering to create air exchanges. This will reduce the chance of the problem spreading to other parts of the building.
-Clean all surfaces, including duct work, using an appropriate antimicrobial product and HEPA vacuuming.
-Remove and dispose of all unnecessary or un-cleanable materials from the school.

After the cleaning is complete, we will perform clearance testing of the building to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Clearance testing will indicate whether the air quality levels are within the acceptable range.
As we communicated earlier today, a mold problem was identified last week by Kromrey staff and the environmental consultant was immediately brought in to analyze the problem. Initial reports indicated that small scale cleaning would be sufficient. Unfortunately, the most recent air sampling reports indicate the problem has not been eliminated and is more widespread than initially thought. There have been similar mold problems with numerous schools throughout southern Wisconsin in the last few weeks.
We know you may have many questions and we will work to answer those as quickly as possible. A frequently asked question document with more information including specifics on the mold species, will be available on the district website by Wednesday afternoon and will be updated throughout the process.

While this is a disappointing way to begin the school year, the safety of our students and staff is our number one priority. The problem has been and will continue to be addressed with urgency and all means available to the Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District.

_________________________________________________________

Posted Tuesday, August 31, 2010 --- 3:30 p.m.

The extremely hot and humid summer has caused a mold problem in four classrooms and one hallway at Kromrey Middle School in the Middleton-Cross Plains School District.

The following is a letter sent to the parents of students at Kromrey Middle School:

August 31, 2010

Dear Kromrey Parent or Guardian,

The extremely hot and humid summer has caused a mold problem in four classrooms and one hallway at Kromrey Middle School. We have made every effort to address the problem and are hopeful that we will begin the school year with it resolved. We expect air sampling lab results late in the afternoon on August 31. If the results indicate continued mold presence, classes in the affected classrooms will be moved to other locations in the building until the lab results indicate the mold growth is gone.

Staff first noticed a problem on August 24, 2010 and immediately contacted Environmental Management Consulting, Inc. to inspect the suspected microbial growth. Mold was confirmed in rooms 101, 102, 117, and 154 as well as the North Hallway. After the initial inspection, staff immediately cleaned the small scale visible growth using appropriate antimicrobial cleaner/inhibitor. There was also a thorough inspection of the entire building with no other problems detected.

Air sampling was done and analyzed to identify mold species and spore concentrations. The affected rooms were compared to a control room as well as outside. Lab results on August 27 indicated elevated levels of Aspergillus/Penicillium in Rooms 102 and 117. Marginally high concentrations were also noted in Room 154. This microbial species is not harmful to a healthy person, but can be harmful to those with immune compromised respiratory systems or specific allergies.

In an effort to remove the remaining mold, re-cleaning was immediately conducted. In addition, dehumidifiers and HEPA filter air scrubbers were allowed to run continuously August 28-30.

We will continue to monitor the situation and keep parents informed via email and the Kromrey website at www.mcpasd.k12.wi.us/kms. Please feel free to call me with any specific questions or concerns. The problem has been and will continue to be addressed with urgency and all means available to the Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District.

Sincerely,
Steve Soeteber, Principal
Kromrey Middle School
ssoeterber@mcpasd.k12.wi.us