Oak Ridge Elementary Air Quality Concerns

Contact: Haley Miller (336) 370-3200
Created: 5/22/2009 10:38:14 AM

Several parents and staff members have voiced ongoing concerns regarding the air quality and other possible environmental issues at Oak Ridge Elementary.

Since 2005, the district has worked diligently to address these concerns. Guilford County Schools (GCS) installed a dehumidifying system and removed carpet with mold. Maintenance workers have also cleaned the heating and air conditioning system and had the carpets cleaned with anti-microbial cleaner.

Recently, GCS officials met with the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, Workplace Hygiene (Industrial Hygiene Services) and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.

As a result of this meeting, the GCS maintenance department has contracted with an industrial hygienist to perform additional indoor environmental quality testing at the school. Also, because mold was found on the bottom of the carpet squares in one classroom, it was decided that all rooms with carpet squares with a rubber backing will have the carpet replaced with VCT flooring (vinyl tile). Maintenance also has inspected and reviewed the HVAC systems in the school, and all systems were found to be working properly.

The school has received interim results from the industrial hygienist. The tests showed minimal levels of airborne fungal spores present in the school. In fact, the air outdoors that we all breathe daily has spore levels that are many times higher than the levels found in any classrooms or other areas of the school. We are still going to do additional testing on the carpets, but we now know that even if some fungal type matter were found in the carpeting, it is not airborne.

The Guilford County Department of Public Health is now doing everything they can to find the underlying cause of these serious concerns. GCS will continue to work closely with the health department on this matter, and will take any action health officials deem necessary.

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About Guilford County Schools

Guilford County Schools is the third largest school district in North Carolina serving more than 71,000 students at 120 schools. With approximately 10,000 employees, the district’s mission is to graduate responsible citizens prepared to succeed in higher education or the career of their choice. 

Guilford County Schools is a national leader in providing specialized schools and instructional programs designed to meet the educational needs of a culturally diverse citizenship.  For more information, visit the district’s Web site at www.gcsnc.com.