Moldy vents and ceiling tiles at White Oak Elementary School in Baltimore County are being cleaned or replaced and outside walls resealed after teachers revealed the results of a survey showing numerous staff complaints of chronic sinus infections, chronic coughing, chronic headaches and other illnesses which they attributed to poor ventilation and rusted, moldy vents. Water damage and condensation isn't new at White Oak. Last year, crews tried unsuccessfully to waterproof several walls. A wet spring and summer added to the problems. Some walls are so wet that teachers must laminate everything they place on them.
Books curl at the edges.
One teacher uses a microwave to dry papers so she can photocopy them. Copy machines break down often. Parents of Edgewood Elementary School in Harford County, Maryland confronted administrators about their fears for their children's health, reporting how green and black mold, dangling from air vents and covering walls, was aggravating respiratory illnesses among many children. School officials responded by closing the school. The new wing, built in 1978, was found to have high levels of allergenic and potentially toxic molds.