Teachers and parents say mold continues to spread at Barnstable United, despite cleanup

(This story was updated to correct a misspelling in the photos.)

HYANNIS ― As Barnstable United Elementary school teacher Rosalie Pedini spoke before the School Committee on Wednesday, her voice tightened and she began to cry as she rattled off a list of respiratory health symptoms that she attributes to mold at the school.

“I have shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing, congestion, sneezing, headaches and fatigue. I also started experiencing hives and rashes all over my body,” said Pedini.

Pedini’s doctor, she said, has confirmed through testing that her symptoms are linked to mold exposure.

In mid-July ServiceMasters, a Barnstable company, cleaned mold at Barnstable United.

After that cleanup, Pedini said she found mold on student chairs, along her classroom’s wall, and surrounding her classroom doorway. Many of Pedini’s students, she said, have developed respiratory symptoms over the last three weeks.

“The amount of sneezing, horrible coughing, and asking to see the nurse for their inhalers is alarming,” said Pedini. “I have never had a sicker group of students at once.”

To bring the point across, Pedini, along with about 20 teachers, parents and staff from Barnstable United gathered outside Town Hall with signs and poster boards before the meeting demanding action from Superintendent Sara Ahern and the School Committee.

At an Aug. 21 School Committee meeting, Ahern said Target Inspections, a microbial investigations company detected mold in mid-July at Barnstable United and Barnstable High School. ServiceMasters then began cleanup at both locations, according to Ahern. In an Aug. 26 letter to families, Ahern said the school had to open a week behind schedule because of the mold. Two classrooms were also temporarily relocated due to mold.

Barnstable spent $500K on mold cleanup this summer

In a Sept. 3 email to the Times, Ahern said the district spent $500,000 during the summer to clean up mold at Barnstable United Elementary and the high school.

The presence of mold was documented in a state Department of Public Health report published in October 2019.

At the School Committee meeting, Sean O’Reilly, of West Barnstable, said his son, who is a student of Pedini’s, has been coughing every night all night since returning to Barnstable United in September. O’Reilly’s son will not be returning to the school, he said.

“When speaking to Ms. Ahern, she seemed genuinely concerned. But where do you draw the line?” said O’Reilly. “We don’t know how this will affect his health in the short and long term.”

School Committee member Jennifer Cullum wants to replace the school’s heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system immediately, and consider offering remote schooling or placing students elsewhere until the school can be fully cleaned and repaired. She called for giving parents and teachers weekly updates about cleanup.

“Can we have an HVAC installed now. Can we speed it up? Can we hit the ground running? Can we put gas on this fire?” Collum said. “We’ve gotta get it done. When lawsuits start to hit, the taxpayers gotta pay that too.”

Is mold cleanup ongoing?

At the meeting, Ahern said mold cleanup has continued since school reopened this fall. The district has worked on moisture control; repaired exhaust, ceiling, and the roof; removed trees and shrubs and tuned up the HVAC system. Ahern is also working to replace carpeting with new flooring. The library, she said, will also be renovated. But it’s a larger and more extensive project, she said.

The district has also begun consulting with Marina Brock, senior environmental specialist in the Environmental Health Division at the Barnstable County Department of Health, said Ahern. Brock, she said, has further analyzed the building and performed with is called tape testing Wednesday. Adhesive tape is applied to surface to pick up mold spores. The tape samples, Ahern said, will assist in identifying mold species.

Ahern is also planning to hold a special meeting with school staff and families, she said.

Is air quality testing ongoing?

During the Aug. 21 School Committee meeting Ahern said the state’s Department of Public Health didn’t require the school to conduct ongoing air quality testing at Barnstable United. But parents at Wednesday’s School Committee meeting asked Ahern to reconsider that decision.

Amanda McGerigle Alden of Marstons Mills, parent of a child at Barnstable United, told the Times that a lack of financial resources for HVAC maintenance is one contributing factor to mold problems. Ahern’s decision not to conduct air quality testing is irresponsible, she said.

“They either need to tear the school down or replace the HVAC system,” said McGerigle Alden. “It’s a bummer. But enough is enough.”

Alison Ampster, a parent of four children in the district, said the district not only needs to continue to test for mold, but also needs to make any results public.

“We have lost trust in the people safeguarding our school,” said Ampster.

For Erin Petersen the most important thing for Barnstable United students, teachers and staff can do, is be tested for mold exposure.

“Ask your physician to order a mycotoxin test. And organize your documentation,” said Petersen. “With this resource, the severity of the health issues stemming from the mold in BUES can be brought to light.”

Rachael Devaney writes about community and culture. Reach her at rdevaney@capecodonline.com. Follow her on Twitter: @RachaelDevaney.

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