Hinsdale Middle School to close more days because of mold

Hinsdale Middle School will be closed for at least two more days this week after tests confirmed mold was growing in the school, officials said Monday.

District officials canceled classes and closed the building Friday to allow cleaning crews to do a deep cleaning of the school that was built in 1976. Samples of suspected mold were sent for testing, which confirmed the substance is mold.

In a letter to parents over the weekend, Superintendent Renee Schuster said the school that serves more than 800 students also would be closed on Tuesday and Wednesday. It was already closed on Monday for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

Schuster said the results of testing of mold samples discovered on Jan. 16 by a cleaning crew showed low concentrations of mold spores on dry wall and surface samples tested. The contractor was at the school to perform deep cleaning and remove wet drywall following water damage that initially occurred when a pipe burst during a frigid cold snap. More leaks were discovered after school resumed classes last week.

Christine Maxwell, a reading specialist at the school, said she has long been worried about the air quality and its impact on the health of students and staff. She said conditions have recently gotten worse.

After returning from the holiday break, she said she experienced a sinus headache, itchy eyes, cough, laryngitis and dizziness. She said the school has been held together with "glue and baling wire" for years.

We have medically fragile students who are affected (asthma, allergies, heart conditions, autoimmune) and staff (asthma, allergies, as well as pregnancies)" Heather Scott, a sixth-grade teacher and co-president of the Hinsdale Clarendon Hills Teachers Association, said via email.

Schuster said results of indoor air testing performed on Jan. 10 show the air quality to be within acceptable guidelines.

Information regarding the school and how the problems are being addressed can be found at d181.org/hms/facility-updates.

Schuster said the district is working with the cleaning contractor, SERVPRO, and Integrity Environmental Services to eradicate the mold in keeping with the microbial remediation guidelines provided by Integrity, which are posted on the Web page. After this work is complete, additional testing will be completed prior to resuming classes.

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Hinsdale Middle School to close more days because of mold