Mold issue really not issue in school

A recent letter to the editor urged citizens to sign a petition requesting that District 95 hold a public hearing on "potential health concerns pertaining to indoor air quality and dampness at May Whitney School."

The co-authors of the letter, who do no currently have children attending May Whitney School, failed to disclose many pertinent facts related to this issue. Facts that the school district has made public and that I will summarize for the readers of this newspaper.

• Extensive testing of the air, carpet, ceiling tiles and other parts of the current May Whitney School facility showed "no indication that mold growth was a problem" in the school. The full report can be read on the district Web site www.lz95.org under the "Updates" section on the main Web page.

• District 95 has routine maintenance schedules for changing air filters in the univentilators that provide fresh air to our classrooms. District 95 also spends millions of dollars in the maintenance and repair of its facilities' climate controls, plumbing, roofs/ceilings, electrical, heating and ventilation, and other vital systems.

• District 95 has been in direct contact with Tom Baughman, Illinois Department of Public Health and we have been following all of the recommendations he has suggested. We have continued to stay in contact with Mr. Baughman to seek his advice based upon the unsubstantiated allegations being made by a few parents and Aramark employees as part of their ongoing labor dispute that also involves the Chicago-based SEIU Local 1 union.

• Based upon the complaints filed by the SEIU Local 1 with five different state and federal agencies, a complaint they never shared with District 95, we have contacted at least two of those agencies in order to work cooperatively in responding to whatever allegations the SEIU Local 1 might be asserting. To date, one of those agencies has examined the building and has requested additional information, which the district provided. We will continue to work with these agencies.

District 95 and its board of education have been completely open with the community on the readiness of May Whitney School and all of our facilities, and we will continue that openness because a safe and secure learning environment for our children is our top priority.

Rather than focusing community attention on a school that--despite the false allegations of a Chicago union--has been shown to be a healthy learning environment, I would encourage our community, Rep. Sullivan and our other elected officials to focus their attention and advocacy on other vital issues affecting our children such as poverty, proper health care and improved funding of our schools

Brian Knutson

Superintendent

Community Unit School District 95