NORTH ADAMS, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) – A school committee meeting was held to discuss what is being done to mediate a mold problem in North Adams.
Western Mass News spoke with a parent who attended the meeting remotely, they learned that mold spore counts in the school were lower than the air outside.
Pictures and videos shared with us were taken inside Brayton Elementary School in North Adams, days before the first day of school. Flash forward to Monday night, a special school committee meeting was held to discuss the air quality report.
Superintendent Barbara Malkas shared ways they plan to maintain a healthy learning environment.
“We have added several new dehumidifiers to the area to that room, we have certainly repainted look to maintain a clean environment,” explained Superintendent Malkas.
One parent told us the issues in the district go deeper than the mold.
“The lack of communication is a disease, the mold thing is a symptom,” said Miguel Rodriguez.
Miguel Rodriguez and his wife’s first grader attends Brayton Elementary. Their student didn’t start the school until Rodriguez was assured by a third party the school was safe to enter.
“Their lack of communication eroded the trust I had in them,” expressed Rodriguez.
He told Western Mass News parents only received one mention of the meeting. The lack of notice only added salt to the wound. He was the only parent to speak when the floor was opened.
“We live in 2024 after a pandemic,” noted Rodriguez. “There is absolutely no excuse when we have tools like PowerSchool and what have you for parents not to receive regular communications of any important things going on at any time.”
In the meeting, Rodriguez expressed his frustrations to the committee.
“There has to be some trust and I agree with that,” added Rodriguez.
Its hard for that trust to happen when communication is very hard to come by.
“My concern isn’t about how the school is now. My concern is why are parents isolated from the process.”
Rodriguez was offered the chance to speak with the superintendent on parent-district communication at a later date. In the meantime, advocating for parent involvement will remain on his agenda.
“The only thing that would really address these concerns is some kind of, PTA would be the very bottom of the barrel thing but some kind of parent group or parent advocacy that goes beyond the district,” explained Rodriguez.
Rodriguez said he and wife hope to arrange a time in the near future to see the inside of the school and if things have changed since they first heard about the mold.
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