Cleveland Metropolitan School District has closed several rooms, including the cafeteria, at Newton D. Baker School of Arts on Cleveland's West Side to monitor air quality, as some teachers express concerns about mold in the aged building.
The building has issues with its ceiling and foundation and recently experienced flooding after heavy rain. The school district has proposed closing the building at the end of the school year due to issues with the structure, although the board of education will need to approve that move.
The district administration said it hired an "environmental specialist" company to clean surfaces and monitor air quality after the flooding, according to an April 7 letter sent to families and staff.
"Out of an abundance of caution, we are going above and beyond our usual practices," the letter reads. "Over the weekend, all affected surfaces were treated with a bleach solution, scrubbed thoroughly, and treated with a moldicide. HEPA filtration devices and ozone generating machines were operated during and after the cleaning process and continued running throughout the weekend to further improve air quality."
Chris Malinoski, a science teacher at Newton D. Baker, said the district should move all staff out of the building as soon as possible if it finds a mold problem in the building. But he also said he didn't have confidence in the testing being conducted.
"The only testing that they're really worried about is state standardized testing, not necessarily the environmental testing," he said, arguing the district is just trying to get through the end of the school year in the current building.
Jon Benedict, a district spokesperson, said the district is doing everything it can to ensure the building is dry and safe. The district is also working with a roofing company and its custodial staff to "ensure that any leaks have ceased," he said.
Malinoski said staff have complained for years about upper respiratory issues.
"There are people that have been in that building for years that have had respiratory and sinus issues, and they've always sort of been like, 'man, I wonder if it's this building?'" he said.
The district said it's providing grab-and-go breakfasts and bagged lunches while the cafeteria is closed.
Concerns about conditions at Newton D. Baker are being raised as the district holds public meetings this month for its "Building Brighter Futures" facilities plan. CMSD CEO Warren Morgan has said nothing is set in stone yet, but, the plan seeking building improvements across the board will also likely mean consolidation and building closures.
