Crews to remove mold from 4 Klein schools
For 3 campuses, work could take up to 6 months
By JASON SPENCER
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle

Students at three Klein Independent School District elementary schools will begin the school year in transportable buildings while workers remove recently discovered mold from the campuses.

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Construction crews discovered mold while renovating Epps Island, Greenwood Forest, Haude and Northampton elementary schools, said Liz Johnson, a Klein spokeswoman.

The mold has not harmed air quality in the schools, she said.

"The quality within the buildings was absolutely safe," Johnson said.

Epps Island should be ready in time for the first day of school on Aug. 16, Johnson said. Replacing the mold-infected walls at the other three schools could take as long as six months.

"They could be back in the buildings by Christmas," she said.

Klein officials couldn't estimate the cost of repairing the buildings, but the money will likely come from school improvement bonds approved by voters in 2004, Johnson said.

The school district will probably take money from the general operating budget to lease the transportable buildings, which could cost more than $1 million, she said.

All the schools were built in the early 1970s and have similar designs, Johnson said. Officials are blaming the mold outbreak on deteriorating sheathing that allowed moisture to penetrate exterior walls.

Each school has a mini gymnasium that will be temporarily converted into a cafeteria and central office space, Johnson said.

Klein ISD will hold community forums to discuss the mold remediation projects on Thursday at 7 p.m. in the Klenk Elementary cafeteria and on Friday at 7 p.m. in the Klein Oak High School auditorium.

KHOU-Channel 11 contributed information for the origination of this story.

jason.spencer@chron.com
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