St. James Elementary parents circulating petition, make demands to fix mold issues
Parents of students at St. James Elementary School continue to organize in response to mold concerns, and now they have a list of demands for Horry County Schools.
More than 60 parents met Wednesday night at the South Strand Recreation Center to discuss the issue, and some of the leaders of the group began circulating a petition listing action items they want the district to complete.
Their demands include: hiring a third-party testing lab to investigate and prove the school is 100 percent safe from mold spores; hiring an engineer to locate and fix any sources or water infiltration; more transparent communication; and mold remediation guidelines approved by a third-party contractor enacted by the district.
HCS spokeswoman Lisa Bourcier said the district would review that information once it is formally submitted to the district.
Palmetto EHS, LLC, first conducted air testing in late November on a small sampling of rooms at the school, and results from that testing showed amplified mold levels in five rooms.
Cleaning was conducted to remediate those issues Jan. 8-10, but then follow-up testing on a larger part of the school showed concerns in 23 areas throughout the building.
Further cleaning completed Feb. 2-3 resulted in more parent outcries after air fresheners placed in the HVAC diffusers left a strong odor in the vents that led to several students leaving school early Feb. 4.
Parents started a Facebook group shortly after that incident to discuss the issues, and that group now has more than 600 members.
Drew Hanna, one of the organizers of Wednesday’s meeting, said he started the Facebook group because he was hearing a lot of rumors and not getting adequate responses to his questions when he tried to contact district officials.
He went on to read statements sent to him by 12 different St. James Elementary teachers sharing concerns about the mold, though he kept their names anonymous to protect them from potential repercussions.
Organizers of the meeting sent letters to district officials and board members inviting them to the meeting, but none showed. Board member Janice Morreale submitted a letter expressing concern and ensuring that the district is doing everything it can to fix the issue.
The school’s air quality was retested Feb. 10, according to an email sent to parents by Daryl Brown, the district’s chief officer for support services. Results of that testing will be sent to the district within 7-10 days.
In addition to accumulating signatures on the petition, organizers expressed a desire to have large showing during the next HCS board meeting, which is scheduled for Feb. 18.
“We need 100 people at that meeting minimum,” Will Taylor, another parent organizer, said.
