Mold Clean Up Underway At School

By Ashli Sims, The News On 6

JENKS, OK -- An area middle school is fighting off a microscopic threat.  Moisture is seeping into Jenks Middle School and mold is growing.  That is forcing some administrators to relocate.  The moisture problem was discovered last week when staff members noticed some damp carpet.  Now, the district is taking action.

Jenks Middle School seems to be losing its battle with the elements.  As it rains outside, moisture is seeping inside the school through the floor.

"In the administrative offices are the only areas where we had high levels of moisture," said Ben Ferem with Jenks Public Schools.

Ben Ferem is in charge of construction and renovation.  He says the staff noticed some damp carpet squares, last week.  They tested and found high levels of moisture and minimal levels of mold.

"The safety of the students and staff have got to be our first consideration in everything that we do. So when you ask are we taking this seriously, yes we are," said Ben Ferem with Jenks Public Schools.

School officials say the problem is localized in the administrative offices. But, they have tested the hallways and classrooms which were given an all-clear.   They say the students aren't in any danger.

"The one thing I want to say to parents is we have done testing throughout the building. All of the testing has been in a safe range. There is nothing to cause concern," said Ben Ferem with Jenks Public Schools.

Ferem's team has brought out the fans, the de-humidifiers, and the boxes.  The staff is relocating to the media center until the source of the moisture is found and eliminated.

"We feel fortunate that it's just in these two areas and it's pretty isolated. This is a large building. And relocating the offices for this group of people is something we can do fairly easily within the building," said Ben Ferem with Jenks Public Schools.

Jenks is bringing in some experts to figure out how the water is coming up through the slab.  They believe the middle school staff will only be out of their offices for the next month or two.