Mold Forces Bixby School Classes To Relocate

Students at Brassfield 5th and 6th Grade Center have been relocated to other buildings on campus. Air quality tests are underway right now. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.bixbyps.org/education/district/district.php?sectionid=1" target="_blank">Bixby Public Schools</a>

Monday, December 6th 2010, 5:52 pm

By: News On 6


Lacie Lowry, News On 6

BIXBY, Oklahoma -- A Bixby school is temporarily closed because of mold.

Students at Brassfield 5th and 6th Grade Center have been relocated to other buildings on campus. Air quality tests are underway right now.

Superintendent Dr. Kyle Wood notified parents of a possible mold scare on November 12th. .

"We have been looking at Brassfield for air quality issues for a couple of months now and have utilized environmental hygienists," said Dr. Wood.

What that industrial hygienist found was elevated levels of mold spores, including penicillin and aspergillus.

"One thing that has frustrated us a great deal is that there are no state or federal standards on what is good air quality," Dr. Wood said.

Sixth graders are now having class in a vocational agricultural building and fifth graders are in the multipurpose building. Some students have complaining of headaches and breathing problems, before the relocation.

"She has asthma, has one kidney, so we just got her out of the emergency room for not being able to breathe and everything, so you know, it's pretty bad, especially since the kids can't go into class now," said Ginny Myers, a parent.

The school was built in 1973 and has 330 students. School leaders have placed air scrubbers in the building and they're using a wide spectrum anti-bacterial and anti-fungal agent to clear the air.

Some parents, though, wonder if that's enough.

"Whether or not to actually send them to school or keep them home, because he's got asthma too, and it's not really good for him to be around stuff like that," said Susanna Martinez, a parent.

The superintendent says students' safety is the top priority.

"Primary students that we went ahead and moved students is just to make very sure we have good air quality for our kids," Dr. Wood said.

Bixby school administrators expect the relocation to last for the next ten days, which is when students go on Winter Break.

They'll do another air quality test to make sure it's safe for students to return on January 4th.

Instructions to students were published on the district's website:

Every student will report daily to the Brassfield gym entrance. All specials will be located in the Brassfield gymnasium and cafeteria.

Band will be at the new tennis complex. 6th graders go to class in the new vocational agricultural building.

5th graders in the multi-purpose building. At the end of the day, students return the gym and cafeteria for dismissal to go home.

logo

Get The Daily Update!

Be among the first to get breaking news, weather, and general news updates from News on 6 delivered right to your inbox!

More Like This

December 6th, 2010

March 14th, 2024

December 4th, 2023

September 25th, 2023

Top Headlines

March 28th, 2024

March 28th, 2024

March 28th, 2024

March 28th, 2024