Susan Keema, principal at Bordewich-Bray Elementry School, talks with Carson City School Board Members about trying to build permanent structures instead of temporary portable classrooms due to an outbreak of toxic mold in some of the existing portable classrooms. Photo by Brian Corley
Toxic mold discovered in five modular buildings at Bordewich-Bray Elementary School could pose a risk for students. At a school board retreat Saturday, officials discussed building a new and more permanent addition to the school to alleviate the risk.
Most Carson City school campuses use temporary modular classrooms to deal with the student overload and school board member John McKenna said he was tired of funding temporary facilities.
"This is an opportunity to put school dollars where they're needed," he said. "I'd like to bond for $3.5 million this year."
"This is a permanent solution, with a one-time cost," said Mike Mitchell, school district director of operations.
Built in the early 1990s, the modulars at Bordewich-Bray initially cost about $1.2 million. They could be renovated for about $850,000 or replaced for $750,000, according to Mitchell, but Bordewich-Bray Principal Susan Keema, said those solutions would not be cost-effective. She called the modulars an operational nightmare.
Hearing-impaired students, who attend classes regularly in these buildings, are at risk due to traffic through the campus. Instructional time is lost as students bundle up for class changes and she said the modulars are drafty, difficult to heat in winter, and difficult to cool in summer. Modulars also project a certain image to parents.
"A quality building says that we want quality education for our children," she said.
According to officials, support services, including classes for the learning disabled and physically challenged, could be centralized on Bordewich-Bray's campus, the ideal spot because student enrollment is stable, between 650 and 700 students. Construction of the new facility would free up classroom space, eliminating the need for more modulars in other, more crowded schools.
Officials discussed removing the old modulars this summer. Classroom space at the school could be cut until the new facility is completed in about two years, but Keema didn't see this as an obstacle. Extra classroom space could be provided at Gleason Elementary just a block away on Musser Street, or modulars could be rented until construction is completed.
"My staff has indicated that they prefer this option and don't mind cramped classrooms for awhile, as long as a solution is at hand," she said.
Financing for the project could come through bonding, short-term, or long-term loans. Board members will consider financial options at their regular meeting Feb. 26.
Discovered in late November, the mold was growing in about 80 percent to 90 percent of the walls of the buildings, used primarily for special education classes and support services.
The air inside the classrooms tested clean and although the mold is confined within sealed walls, Mitchell said he decided to remove it to prevent any seepage into the air through outlets or other holes.
Groundwater and poor building design are being blamed for the high level of mold found in the buildings.
BREAKOUT:
-- Currently estimated at 53,000, Carson City's population is expected to climb to 62,476 by the year 2010. That means an extra 100 to 300 students annually for for Carson City's school system over the next 10 years, according to figures compiled from a number of sources including Carson City's Chamber of Commerce and local realtors and developers.
The population group is expected to be older and more affluent, bringing with them older children swelling the ranks in Carson City's middle and high schools.
With 1,229 students, Carson Middle School uses 17 modular classrooms and has room for four more. Eagle Valley Middle School is at capacity with four portable classrooms and Carson High School is near capacity with 2,661 students.
