Mold inspection begins at Lakewood Ranch High

Inspector should release results before end of October.

By Pam Eubanks
| 8:30 a.m. October 11, 2017

John LeJeune, of GHD, inspects for mold at Lakewood Ranch High School. Courtesy image.

East County
News

After shutting down Building 400 for mold remediation in August, the School District of Manatee County now is inspecting the rest of the Lakewood Ranch High School campus.

Tampa-based GHD, an environmental consulting firm, began a comprehensive mold assessment of Lakewood Ranch’s campus Oct. 4 and is expected to finish Oct 11. A report detailing other findings is expected by the end of the month.

“Mold is extremely prevalent in Florida, but it’s prevalent everywhere,” School District spokesman Mike Barber said. “Bottom line is if mold is visible, you need to do something about it. That’s how it’s being approached.”

Students and teachers moved back into the six classrooms in Building 400 on Oct. 1.

Stage update

While mold inspections are underway, the School District of Manatee County is completing repairs on the Lakewood Ranch High School auditorium stage, which has had ongoing water intrusion issues.

The district’s department of construction services in June began evaluating water intrusion issues by drilling a hole in the auditorium floor, said Jane Dreger, director of the construction services department.

District staff members, contractor NDC Construction Co., moisture consultant CMC Moisture Consulting and waterproofing subcontractor Service Painting of Florida evaluated water intrusion results following heavy rainfall events in September. They agreed the water intrusion is the result of an elevated water table, and water is coming from the ground up.

Repair work began Oct. 4 and is projected to take four weeks. Actions include: removal and replacement of the wood on the stage face wall; installation of urethane grout; shot blasting the carpet adhesive off the floor; installation of a bonding agent to seal tiny holes in the concrete and masonry surfaces; installation of waterproofing; and installation of new carpet.

At an Aug. 30 information meeting with parents, district officials said mold may have been the result of turning air-conditioning units off on weekends, but all units will remain running until the reason for the mold has been determined.

Barber said Lakewood Ranch High has two operational chillers, but one needs replacing and the other sometimes needs repair. The district is in the process of securing bids for new chillers, which may take up to four months.

Some parents say the district’s efforts are not thorough enough. Bridget Mendel, who has two sons at the school, said she’s been concerned about mold on campus since last year, when her son came home with pictures of mold in Building 400. The district is inspecting for visible mold, but she said the mold issues could be more structural in nature and worries they will not be adequately addressed.

“We may have cleaned up the mold, but it doesn’t mean we’ve addressed the issue,” she said.

She said previous issues with mold were not addressed, and information from the district has been conflicting.

Barber said the district is working to ensure students and teachers are safe and the mold is remedied appropriately. GHD will evaluate structural issues, such as the roof, during its inspections.

“They’re not just trying to come in and just see the mold. They’re also trying to find out the cause,” Barber said. “We feel like we’re pretty thorough on this.”

Lakewood Ranch High School Principal Craig Little is posting updates on inspections to the school’s website.