Several AHS classrooms have been affected by excessive amounts of mold. Classrooms in the first floor science hallway and a classroom in the second floor history hallway are among some of the

classrooms most impacted.

Water-stained ceiling tiles and musty odors are telltale signs of mold infestations in a room.

“We’ve had an extraordinary amount of rain, which is moisture in the air,” Director of Student Activities Karl Kerns said. “It’s been a difficult fall.”

A few teachers had noticed a musty smell or experienced dripping in their classrooms, leading to the replacement of ceiling tiles in some rooms.

“The ceiling was leaking the day before the ‘flood day.’ [The administration] has replaced some water-stained tiles,” chemistry teacher Yaara Crane said.

Kerns has worked with county officials and the building engineer to help solve the issues with mold.

“Anytime I hear that there’s something out of the ordinary in any classroom or part of our building, the concern is always for safety for our students, teachers and guests,” Kerns said. “The important piece is that there’s a process and teachers report that to me, custodians and the building engineer.”

The heavy rains earlier this fall caused a pipe running through the ceiling of several first floor science classrooms, including Crane’s (room 125), to burst and saturate the ceiling tiles.

According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), “absorbent materials (such as ceiling tiles & carpet) that become moldy may have to be replaced.”

Physics teacher David Azzam’s room (room 127) has ceiling tiles with water damage, some of which have water spots. Such damage cannot be ignored, and should be replaced to fight the spread of mold.

In neighboring classroom 129, physics teacher David Tyndall has found a fix for the effects of mold in his classroom by buying an air purifier.

“It wasn’t cheap, but I think it was worth it,” Tyndall said. “Some students complain about allergies and if they’re in here four to five hours a week, and I’m in here everyday, it’s worth it.”

Mold in AHS did not start with the recent floods. History teacher Meghan Saladino has noticed mold in her classroom (room 279) since July. The mold has caused her to relocate her class in order to teach in a less mold-infested environment.

“I have a student who has mold allergies and could not stay in the classroom,” Saladino said.

Saladino has worked with the administrators, Kerns in particular, to solve the problem. Kerns had county workers come in to repaint her classroom with special paint to prevent the spread of mold.

“We try to collaborate and work together to solve the issue as quickly as possible.” Kerns said.

AHS administration has been extremely supportive concerning the mold in teachers’ classrooms and has found solutions to combat its spread.

By Christine Tamir