District works to remove mold from Marina High

Angelique Flores

HUNTINGTON BEACH -- The effort to clean up the fungal growth in the

portable classrooms at Marina High School is nearly completed.

The carpeting in all eight portables will be removed and replaced with

tile next week.

Executive Environmental Services Corp. tested the air in classrooms

255, 256, 257 and 258 in February. Evidence of fungal growth was found

underneath the baseboard near the front entry doors in rooms 256 and 257,

the report stated.

Also according to the report, insufficient ventilation or inadequate

fresh outside air is the primary cause of the problem. Another probable

cause is water damage to the building shells, leading to mold

contamination and fungal growth.

The school has been working to remove and replace all ceiling tiles,

clean and repair all air ducts and remove and replace old fiberglass

insulations. The baseboard and wall coverings near the entry doors to

rooms 256 and 257 also will be removed.

Consultants are scheduled to return later this month after the work is

complete to measure air quality in all eight portable classrooms to

ensure that indoor levels are below the outdoor levels, said Patricia

Koch, Huntington Beach Union High School District’s assistant

superintendent of business services.

“There’s a big safety issue here,” said parent Denyse Scarberry. “I’m

appalled at the audacity that the district let it go this long.”

Teachers and students in these rooms have complained of nagging

allergy problems and sinus infections.

“The health and safety of children and employees should go first,”

said Scarberry, who would prefer to see the portables replaced rather

than repaired.

“It bothers me to put money into portables that should be replaced,”

trustee Susan Henry said. “But the other option is to do nothing.

District officials are at a loss of funds to cover all the repairs

around the aging schools in the district, much less buy new portables.

“In a perfect world, we’d rip [the portables] all down, but I don’t

know where else we’re supposed to put the students,” Henry said.

Some trustees plan to meet with school officials about the issue and

work scheduled to be done on other parts of campus over the summer.

“If we replace their portables, we’d have to replace all the

portables. We can’t just replace [Marina’s],” Henry said. “We need to

look at safety throughout the whole district.”

After Scarberry addressed City Council members at a meeting a few

weeks ago, more parents and teachers have become aware of the problem.

Assemblyman Tom Harman (R-Huntington Beach) has contacted the state

Department of Education and the Division of Occupational Safety and

Health and the high school district to pitch in on the effort to remedy

the situation.”I’m not trying to tell the district how to do their job, I

just want to make sure that the kids are safe,” Scarberry said.