(This letter will be mailed to Red Mountain Ranch Elementary families the week of July 20.)

July 17, 2009

Dear Red Mountain Ranch Elementary Parents:

I hope that you and your family are having a relaxing summer break. My staff and I look forward to greeting you on Aug. 12 for our first day of school. Our campus is undergoing some maintenance and construction as we prepare for the new school year.

I would like to update you about a summer construction project at our school. Last spring, certified industrial hygienists from Hutzel & Associates conducted tests at our school and found that air quality was “at acceptable indoor levels.” The tests were reviewed by another certified industrial hygienist from Health Effects Group, Inc. who concluded that the testing process followed the standard practices of industrial hygiene.

Although Hutzel & Associates found that our indoor air was healthy, the District followed up on questions from staff brought forward as school closed in May. The District conducted an examination of the window wells outside our basement classrooms. This area had trees and other greenery that required watering and raised the possibility of water migrating from the soil into the exterior walls of the classroom.

The District’s Operations Department saturated the window wells with water and examined the walls with an infrared camera. Moisture was detected in one classroom and when the wall material was removed, a small amount of what is believed to be mold was found. The mold spores were enclosed and undisturbed inside the wall, and could not get into the air. As a precaution, Operations staff went a step further and removed the walls in each lower level classroom for additional inspection, but found no further mold there.

Our Operations staff also removed some flooring in the hallways. Under a baseboard on the concrete wall, they discovered another small area of what is considered to be mold. The vinyl floor coverings trap moisture and other material so it cannot become airborne.  

The district followed stringent OSHA guidelines in the removal and clean-up of the classrooms, including setting up a containment area enclosed in plastic and bagging all debris.

Operations staff has taken steps to correct the moisture issue that caused this situation. The plants around the window wells have been removed so that watering is no longer necessary and the area will be replaced with concrete. With the outside cause corrected, crews have replaced drywall and changed the flooring style to prevent further occurrences.

Air quality testing is being conducted by a certified industrial hygienist from Prime Consulting and is expected to be completed July 20. We will share the results on our Web site at www.mpsaz.org/rmre, click on Building Information.

Mesa Public Schools is committed to maintaining a safe and secure school for all students.  Please feel free to contact my office if you have questions.

Sincerely,

Joyce Cook, Principal