The first day of school is one that is normally filled with excitement. But for some families in Windsor, it is filled with anxiety because of mold concerns.
The Oliver Ellsworth Elementary School is where those concerns lie. The district said it's addressing the mold issue but not everyone is satisfied with the way the situation has been managed so far. That included Karen Mendoza, whose 6-year-old son began first grade Monday.
“I dropped my son off this morning and I left there in tears,” she said.
Mendoza’s worry stems from mold inside the classrooms. Pictures she was given by a school employee show parts of the school impacted by mold.
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“I was disgusted. I was appalled,” she said.
The photos appear to reveal tables, chairs and ceiling panels covered in mold. On the district website, there is a statement saying the town and district are working to address the issue. It reads in part:
"A previous third-party mold air assessment indicated results were within industry-accepted parameters. Collectively we are continuing to take actions to address the conditions including system adjustments and improvements."
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Town Manager Peter Souza said he believes that previous third party assessment was done in 2022.
According to Souza, commercial dehumidifiers are in the building working to mitigate the current situation. Looking ahead he said a town council meeting set for Sept. 5 will address the possibility of a major capital improvement, potentially renovating the HVAC system.
Toniko Cox’s grandson is three and had his first day of school ever on Monday. Cox isn’t worried.
“We have trust and faith in the school system, and that they are going to do right and they’ll do whatever it takes to protect the kids,” Cox said.
Enduring the conditions along with the students are the school’s teachers. The state’s largest teachers’ union, the CEA, said they’ve been in contact with the district and are confident in its approach.
“As long as the district is continuously moving on these issues, we’re satisfied,” CEA President Kate Dias said.
Moving forward, the CEA said more investigation is needed to determine exactly what type of mold this is.
“Some are just common molds that can be cleaned up through regular practices of cleaning, and some are more difficult problems to address like black mold,” Dias said.
Mendoza, though, is not satisfied.
“To me, if you’re waiting on a result for such an important test, you have to assume it’s bad. Don’t assume it’s OK,” she said.
According to the district’s website, a special ‘listen only” Board of Education meeting will be held Tuesday at 6 p.m. No questions will be allowed. Another meeting is scheduled for Wednesday at 6 p.m. at the LPW auditorium where questions can be asked.
