Mold scare sends suburban Phoenix students to another site for classes
Sep 16, 2014, 12:03 PM | Updated: 12:03 pm
PEORIA, Ariz. — Fear of mold in a suburban Phoenix school sent hundreds of students across the street to spend their classroom hours Tuesday.
About 600 students of Terramar School in the Deer Valley Unified School District moved to a church near 67th Avenue and Happy Valley Road after parents voiced concern of mold after last week’s storms.
The school took on some water in last week’s torrential rains, but during a special meeting Monday night, district officials tried to ease fears, telling parents the air quality and mold tests all came back negative.
Another test, though, paid for by Lisa Best, president of the schol’s Parent Teacher Student Association, said those tests came back positive.
The kids will be at Christ’s Church until Wednesday and more tests will be conducted.
Lisa Pack’s daughter attends Terramar and is encouraged with the decision to move the children until it’s absolutely certain that the school is mold-free.
“We’ve been asking for that. I asked last night why was school in session,” Pack said. “Why wasn’t class canceled and then added on at the end of the year? Why are children being exposed to this?
“… The district’s excuse for not canceling school is that there are parents who couldn’t afford to leave their kids at home.”
The district said about 200 of the 850 students stayed home Monday. Students who stayed home because of the mold fear will get an excused absence.
