By Dan Aceto

Staff Writer

Wentworth Intermediate School will receive another round of mold testing in some carpeted areas of the school next week, said Todd Jepson, school facilities manager.

Jepson said the latest testing is being done as a follow-up to tests from the week of Oct. 21, which were recommended by the Bureau of General Services after it conducted a school-wide examination of the building in late September. 

The results of those tests were released Oct. 26 and concluded, “air samples indicated a very low level of mold spore activity.” The testing was performed by Northeast Test Consultants, which conducted similar tests during summer for the presence of asbestos and mold in other areas of the school.

“We tested five spaces in every wing of the school, which amounts to 25 areas,” Jepson said. 

Jepson said areas that were tested the week of Oct. 21 were classrooms that had hatchways leading to the access tunnel beneath the school, as well as hallways, the music room and nurse’s room, among others.
“We tried to test places that were high-traffic areas for children,” Jepson said. 

Jepson said levels reported were significantly lower than outside air levels for mold and he suspects any mold that may be found in the school was likely brought indoors, on foot for instance, from decomposition of leaves and other plant materials in rainy weather.

Testing tentatively scheduled for this week and next will be performed on carpeted areas throughout the school, and not samples of the air such as those were done in the past.

“We’re going to test areas based upon the sensitivity of occupants and complaints we have received. Rooms where people have either smelled something funny, or have just not felt healthy,” said Jepson.

In addition to the latest round of mold testing, Jepson said he is awaiting results next week of radon testing performed earlier in the summer since the access tunnel beneath the school was cleaned out, and expects the results next week.

Jepson said that although he believes the school is safe to inhabit and that issues such as mold and radon are not a concern, he would still like to see a new intermediate school built.

“The school itself has major issues which need to be addressed if we’re going to provide a good education for kids,” said Jepson.

Jepson said the school’s limitations in heating, air conditioning, electrical work and energy efficiency all are “conspiring together for a more modern building.”

“Is it a dangerous building? No, or it wouldn’t be occupied,” said Jepson. “This is more of a global issue than concerns of air quality, it’s a lot bigger than that. It takes a lot of money to maintain an old building, and from a maintenance aspect, I ask, ‘Is it worth it?’”