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. Officials sealed off that section of the school while ceiling tiles are replaced and reinsulated, surfaces are thoroughly cleaned and carpets are replaced with tile. Officials now claim the older section of the school is safe and children have returned in split shifts, while clean up continues in the sealed off newer wing.