TOXIC D96 SCHOOL AIR?
Take Action Now
SIGN OUR PETITION TO REQUIRE ANNUAL INDOOR WATER DAMAGED BUILDING MOLD TESTING AND PREVENTION. https://change.org/KCSD96MOLD
The school's mold test report from 10/15/2021 does show the presence of Aspergillus and Penicillium inside the school rooms 116 and 600. The school's mold test company confirmed that this is what the report says. The school's mold test company did say that these molds can produce mycotoxins [Patulin and Ochratoxin.] The school's mold test company says that a inside measurement of 210 is the same as two outside measurements of <13 and 160. The school has concluded that there is no mold in these classrooms.
Country Meadow and Woodlawn D96 Indoor Air Quality Report from May 2023 shows high to very high levels of penicillium and aspergillus mold spores in the Woodlawn cafeteria and mold growth in the building. Their Fall 2023 reports continue to show mold growth in the building.
They continue to claim there is no issue with indoor air quality.
However, the reported symptoms below are very indicative of water damaged building toxic mold exposure:
Received reports 2021-2022
|Current CM student sudden onset of post school headache and leg pain | Current 5th and 7th graders co-develop auto-immune condition and doctor suspect environmental cause | Current WL 7th grader cannot enter school without immediately developing headache, dizziness, chest pain | Current CM 5th grader experienced acute respiratory distress and pain in music class | 2 Previous WL mothers shared with us their kids developed mold allergies while attending WL | Father shares with us his current CM 1st and 5th graders have suddenly develop severe mold allergies | Current CM 7th grader with mold allergies comes home worse from school than when he leaves in the morning, even with allergy medicine | Family reports their 2 children tested high for mold toxicity.
Received reports 2023-2024
3rd family reports their child has tested high for mold toxicity | 4th family reports their child has tested high for mold toxicity and can no longer enter CM/WL school building without getting sick
Please share with us your stories.
Jan 2023, parent led independent testing detects 2 airborne dangerous chemical toxins at Woodlawn Middle School: Aflatoxin and T2.
Continue reading, please scroll down.
CLEAN AIR FOR KIDZ
Invisible toxins hurting our kids?
October 2019, my son, Isaac 5th grader at the time, was at a swim club meet in Stevenson High School when he went into shock and was hospitalized. When he started going back to school at Country Meadows Elementary School, he would enter in good health, but as the school day progressed, he had to be picked up sick and brought home. This repeated many times until we decided to just keep him home due to his deteriorating health.
He suffered 2 years of debilitating symptoms. It was horrible. We found out he is genetically susceptible to getting sick from exposure to mold/mycotoxins. We made sure that our home was safe, and he became healthy again. However, he still can’t be exposed to mold/mycotoxins or his health will deteriorate rapidly.
Despite the growing number of reports of schools having mold/mycotoxins problems, there are no safe limits established for school indoor air mold/mycotoxin levels.
Up to 25% of the population has a genetic pre-disposition that makes them more susceptible to mold illness. (Source: https://realtimelab.com/mold-statistics/)
Mycotoxins are well documented for their toxic effects on the human cell, causing a number of problems in normal cell function and association with a wide variety of clinical symptoms and diseases, including Immune Suppression, Neurotoxicity (Anxiety, ADHD, Insomnia,) Depression, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and more.
References:
https://internalmedicinereview.org/index.php/imr/article/view/836
https://realtimelab.com/product/mycotoxin-test/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3654247/
Isaac wants your help to get clean indoor school air, so no other kids will be at risk of suffering the way he did and have a school environment that is safe for all kids. While many people can deal with more mold/mycotoxin exposure than others, due to Isaac’s weakened immune system, any exposure can be devastating to his health.
Just the same as adding air quality controls for students with asthma, we need schools to perform specific expert mold/mycotoxin level testing and/or do what is necessary to upgrade their air quality so that no kids develop any level of mold illness from just breathing school air.
I started asking June 17, 2021 for a specific actionable air quality control plan to ensure his disability accommodations for a safe environment are met: an environment free of mold and mycotoxins, particularly the air he breathes. On September 9, they notified me that they are performing an air quality assessment. On October 6 at a 504 meeting, they rejected my idea to put portable UV HEPA filters in his classrooms to see if that would help to make it safe for Isaac to attend school. With no safe accommodations at school, Isaac couldn't attend school in person. They said they were continuing to investigate the concern.
The school provided my son core class remote access via zoom.
After the school board meeting 10/19, the D96 Superintendent verbally committed to doing what it takes to get my son back into school. A 10/15 test report was released to the public on 10/29/2021 and shows when compared to the pre-test data, Room 116 shows 31% more Aspergillus / Penicilluim. The mold test company verbally confirmed their test report does show mold in those classrooms. Room 600 shows 11 times more and Room 116 shows 15 times more (Room 116) than post test outside of toxin (patulin and ochratoxin) producing mold (Aspergillus and Penicillium.)
These were the mold types that were in my son's urine blood test for his mold illness when he was his sickest.
Getting even more medical testing done on my son, and going through a clinical evaluation and obtaining an IEP, the school finally agreed to put air purification in all the areas my son would be in school.
While these areas may be improved, and we were hoping these measures are enough to protect our son from exposure to toxic mold and mycotoxins that may be present in the school, but they were not.
I asked the board to consider the inputs of 2 independent indoor air quality expert companies. They both felt the testing done by the school was inconclusive and further investigation was required based on reported symptoms. We need to school to determine the exact types of aspergillus/penicillium and figure out if those levels are safe for our children.
Their position remains that they don't have a problem and no further testing or investigation is required, despite a 2012 CDC/NIOSH alert saying IAQ testing not adequate to rule out water damaged building mold contamination and to always respond when occupant health concerns are reported.
As long as my children continue to report symptoms from just attending school, then I don't believe the air is safe at school.
Please help/comment if you can.
Please help make school safe for kids:
Share our site to raise awareness and support, particularly with parents of children with mold allergies, asthma, auto-immune conditions, weakened immune system or other air quality related health conditions.
Contact the Kathryn Sheridan, ksheridan@kcsd96.org and/or the Illinois State Board of Education https://apps.isbe.net/ContactIsbe/):
"To whom it may concern, I am worried about the health children attending Country Meadows and Woodlawn Middle School D96. I have learned of several students at the school that have reported water damaged building mold illness related symptoms. Why is this? I am concerned about the safety of other children? Why can't you retest for airborne toxins? Why can’t you just take immediate action to improve air quality at the whole school with HVAC air purification technology, higher quality furnace air filters, better AC condenser coil disinfection, humidity monitoring and controls, and add HEPA filters in ALL classrooms? Why don't you do a more extensive investigation of the school's indoor air quality?"
Read about ERMI testing by Envirobiomics.com or Mycometrics.com become more knowledgeable about mold illness and how the school's air quality may be putting our children at risk of becoming ill.
Where did their $1,021,542 COVID Relief Funds get allocated to if not to ensure clean safe air? https://www.isbe.net/_layouts/Download.aspx?SourceUrl=/Documents/Total-ESSER-Allocations.xlsx | ROW 122
Imagine how challenging this is for other students with mold issues to get a safe environment at their school. This is why we need to establish required annual specific mold/mycotoxin testing and safe limits. Help us make it law:
Write your congressman and/or call the Illinois Department of Health 217-782-5830. Demand safe air for kids.
State Representative Nabeela Syed
District Office:
830 West Northwest Highway, Suite #9
Palatine, IL 60067
Monday-Friday 9 am to 5 pm
(773) 916-6553
State Senator Dan McConchie
District Office:
325 N. Rand Road
Suite B
Lake Zurich, IL 60047
(224) 662-4544
Thank you for your support and keep sharing your stories, D96 and D125 parents Patrick and Soo Lee
OUR CAMPAIGNS
What We Believe In
SCHOOL INDOOR AIR MUST HAVE SAFE LIMITS OF MOLD AND MYCOTOXINS OR BE COMPLETELY FREE OF THEM.
Let's stop mold from being a possible contributing cause of our children's suffering: allergies, asthma, anxiety, ADHD, depression, migraines, seizures, suicide, etc.
We are working with to draft a bill that will protect children from the mold / mycotoxin dangers of indoor school air. Stay tuned.
ADVOCACY
Ensuring that All Voices are Heard
Advocacy is an essential pillar of our Protest Movement. There is strength in numbers, and we work to inform and encourage others to take a stand for what they believe in. If you suspect at all that your child is impaired in anyway from exposure to mold or mycotoxins and don't feel you're child is safe at school and/or you want to help fight for clean air for kids, please contact me. Did your child develop certain conditions only after starting school at D96, do they seem okay at home, but struggle while at school or struggle more starting mid week after a few days of spending all day inside school? Join as a member, share your story in the forum, contact me directly. This website is starting with D96, but next is D125, D214, and then then all schools in the state of Illinois, including colleges and their dormitories. Our kids have a right to clean air free of mold and mycotoxins.
CONTACT
Ready to make an impact? Contact us to learn how we can begin working together.
Patrick Lee, D96 and D125 Parent
224-813-4478
