TERRE HAUTE, Ind – West Vigo Elementary School students will attend school at Sugar Creek Consolidated for one more day on Monday, November 18. The school will reopen to students on Wednesday, November 20.
Director of Communications Bill Riley says that over a 24 hour period the Sugar Creek Fire Department, Vectren, school facilities staff, and an air quality testing firm searched West Vigo Elementary for issues. On Thursday, November 14, a few students at West Vigo Elementary School complained of a cough and eye irritation, and the building was evacuated as a precaution.
On Friday, November 15, the results of the air quality test showed small amounts of mold (aspergillus/penicillium) in two rooms at the school. The entire building was tested, but two rooms were slightly above the industry-standard level for aspergillus/penicillium.
Riley stated in a press release that the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry notes that all air indoors and outdoors contains fungal spores, and that aspergillus/penicillium is not the same as stachybotrys chartarum, the black mold that has most been associated with the toxic effects of fungal exposure.
The School Corporation is taking steps to remediate and clean the two affected rooms.
When students return to West Vigo Elementary School on Wednesday, November 20, crews will be continuing to work in the two affected rooms, and those classes will be moved elsewhere in the building.
The entire school system will be shut down on Tuesday November 19th for a “snow day” for those who wish may take part in the “Red for Ed” day at the Indiana State House in Indianapolis.
That will be organization day for the upcoming legislative session and many from around the state plan to protest what they feel are educational short comings in the way the legislature has handled problems in education. Vigo County along with other school systems around the state chose to declare a “snow day” and close schools as there were not enough available substitute teachers to fill in for all of those who indicated that they would take personal days to be able to go the protest in Indianapolis.