Mold tests remain high at Tzouanakis
Tzouanakis Intermediate School will remain closed until further notice.
Greencastle Schools Supt. Jeff Hubble notified Tzouanakis parents Friday evening that air quality tests remain high.
“Unfortunately, the third air quality test yielded results that make us uncomfortable with opening TZ in the immediate future,” Hubble said.
As such, the existing plan for Tzouanakis students will remain in place — third grade at Deer Meadow Primary, fourth grade at Ridpath Primary and fifth grade at Greencastle High School.
With the most recent round of cleaning apparently not taking care of the problem in the seven troubled rooms, Hubble noted that GCSC has brought in a new expert to guide the process.
“We have added an industrial hygienist to the group working on the problem,” Hubble said. “He inspected the seven rooms that continue to have slightly elevated levels of aspergillus/penicillium, and devised a plan that was put into action at 7:30 this morning, Friday, Sept. 14.
Although school officials are hopeful about this new plan of action, the ongoing problem leaves them with no estimated school return date.
“While we continue to aggressively tackle the problem, it is impossible to know at this point when the air quality will be sufficiently improved to re-open the building,” Hubble said. “We are all eager to get the building safely habitable and return to a normal routine.”
While acknowledging the ongoing nature of the problem, Hubble said he is working on a report he will share with the Banner Graphic as well as sharing a link with parents so they can read the report in its entirety.
Hubble also noted that the hygienist gave school officials two pieces of good news:
1) We do not have any toxic mold. In Indiana there are mold spore types which can cause adverse reactions in larger groups of people. The mold being treated at TZ is an allergen that affects those individuals who are allergic to that particular type
2) We do not have any black mold - as mold ages it turns darker in color and will often be called black mold. Just because mold has turned black does not necessarily mean it is toxic.
Hubble added that air quality testing will be continuing to measure progress with the established plan.
“The unit vents in each classroom will be dismantled, cleaned, and inspected by the industrial hygienist prior to being chemically treated,” Hubble said. “All surfaces of every piece of furniture will be treated. All cubbies and cabinets will be cleaned and treated.
“The industrial hygienist will inspect and fog each room with chemicals that will encapsulate all bacteria, virus, and mold spores,” he added. “Air scrubbers and dehumidifiers will be running up to four hours prior to the next test.”
The Tzouanakis building has been closed since the evening of Monday, Aug. 27. On that day district officials discovered that mold levels were not being monitored in the school.