LATE BREAKING NEWS: HMS To Remain Closed Through At Least Tuesday, 1/28.

The D181 Board of Education held an emergency meeting on 1/20/14 at 7 pm. The meeting lasted over 3 hours. The purpose was to address and approve nearly $400,000 in mold remediation work that must be completed before Hinsdale Middle School can reopen. Four news stations -- CBS, NBC, ABC and WGN -- covered the meeting.  While we encourage everyone to listen to the D181 Podcast of the meeting, below are links to the available online news coverage, as well as our summary of what was discussed, disclosed and decided.

After the meeting, Dr. Schuster sent an email to parents (it is copied at the end of this post).  She confirmed what was disclosed during the meeting -- HMS will be closed through at least next Tuesday.  As of Monday night, no alternate plans had been developed by Dr. Schuster and her administration to relocate HMS students to another building, however,  Dr. Schuster must now formulate a plan to possibly implement split shifts at Clarendon Hills Middle School, and present it to the Board.  This could possibly result in HMS students resuming classes -- at CHMS -- later this week.

News Coverage available online:
Click to open CBS coverage.
Click to open ABC coverage.
Click to open WGN coverage.

Summary of what was disclosed, discussed and decided:

• Representative from the cleaning/restoration company, SERVPRO, and air quality/mold testing company, Integrity Environmental Services, presented their report of the mold that was discovered last week at HMS. After ongoing past health concerns and complaints from teachers and students who suspected there was mold in the building, last November and December air quality tests were conducted.  Those test results came back within acceptable levels.  
• However, because of the ongoing complaints, the plan would have been to begin testing drywall and other surfaces for the presence of mold. Before the final report from last year's testing was finalized, the polar vortex struck and the resulting water damage caused by pipes bursting and the roof leaking led to new testing after mold was discovered during the cleanup.  Areas in the building that had passed air quality tests were found to have mold after all.  90% of areas tested came back positive for mold growth.  Some of the mold was recent, some of it was old.  
• Both companies recommended that before school can reopen, all baseboard and drywall touching baseboard throughout the entire building must be replaced. In addition, all of the duct work throughout the building must be cleaned, sanitized and treated with a mold preventative solution. Estimated cost is nearly $400,000.  Because some of the mold that was discovered could not be traced to the events of the last week, SERVPRO representatives indicated that insurance would not cover the baseboard and drywall work.  They indicated that the duct cleaning might be covered by the insurance.
• The baseboard and drywall work will not be completed before Friday.
• Following completion of that work, the ducts must be cleaned and this will take up to two days.
• Following the duct cleaning, the testing company must take new air and swab samples, and the results and report on this testing will take at least two days.  
• For the first time, the community was told that it is unlikely the work can be done and the test results returned by Sunday night so that school can resume next Monday.  More likely, the test results will not be back until next Tuesday, perhaps Wednesday.
• Before the Board voted to approve this remediation work, Board Member Garg insisted and brought a motion to allow community members to speak, ask questions and receive answers. We thank her for realizing the importance of giving the community members a meaningful voice in this discussion.  We frown upon Mr. Turek's initial attempts to simply have the board vote on the recommended work, followed only by public comment, but no questions.  The Board approved Ms. Garg's motion.
• Many parents spoke, as did a teacher and parent of a student who had reported health concerns long before the polar vortex related to suspected mold. These health concerns included severe migraine headaches.  The teacher that spoke identified her classroom as one that had tested within normal limits for air quality, but now old mold has been discovered in the drywall.  Not mold caused by recent events!
• The recommended work does not include replacement of the roof, but the SERVPRO reps said it should be replaced.
• SERVPRO acknowledged that they have not been able to pinpoint the source of all the roof leaks.  So far 25 separate leaks have been discovered.  They said there was and may still be inadequate insulation around pipes and in the roof. They have been doing their best to insulate as they work to remediate the insulation issues they are uncovering.
• Parents expressed concern over the fact that the reported mold and health issues had not been brought to the Board's attention in the past and that it took the polar vortex crisis to finally get it addressed.  Former Board Member Yvonne Mayer stated that the only mold issues that had been brought to the Board in the four years she served (her term expired in April 2013) was a request to remodel some bathrooms at HMS after mold was discovered. She stated that she had asked the administration if there were any other potential mold issues or anticipated work and the Board was told no. She then pointed out that the teachers had been right all along -- there was mold in the building.
• Parents asked many questions about why if the air quality tests are within acceptable limits, can't the work take place during spring break in order that school can resume immediately.  The company representatives advised against this and said the issues need to fixed now because of the health concerns. The representative from SERVPRO was asked by one parent if he would send his children to the school without the remediation work being completed first.  His answer was NO.
• One parent commented that perhaps what needs to be considered is building a new middle school. Board Member Heneghan indicated that this would require a referendum and could take 2 to 3 years from start to finish.
• Parents expressed concern that students will miss up to 9 instructional days (maybe more) since winter break, 7 of them caused by the discovery and needed eradication of the mold.  The question they all had was why can't the students go to an alternate location?
• One parent pointed out the speculation in the community that Dr. Schuster has been out of town for much of the last 2 weeks, rather than on site dealing directly with the crisis.  Dr. Schuster did not answer the actual question about whether she had been out of town, rather she deflected by answering that she has been seen at HMS by teachers. 
• After questioning by community members and Board Member Henghan, the administration acknowledged that no plan has been formulated yet for an alternate location. Dr. Schuster made excuses for why no plans have been developed yet but parents did not back off.
• Board Action Taken:
• Approved $129,512 in baseboard and drywall removal and replacement. (Cost could go up if more mold is discovered.)
• Approved $255,000 in duct cleaning.
• Dr. Schuster is to formulate a plan to have students attend school at an alternate location and to bring a recommendation back to them as quickly as possible.  The option they asked her to focus on was split shifts at Clarendon Hills Middle School.  
• Board Member Clarin asked for daily updates. We thank him for that.

So now all parents, students, teachers and staff can do is wait.  We must wait to see how long the work actually takes before we know if HMS will open next Wednesday.  We must wait while Dr. Schuster finally puts together a back up plan to relocate our students to another building so that school can resume possibly earlier than next Monday. We must wait for her daily updates that Mr. Clarin asked for.  We must wait to see if a second board meeting is scheduled.  And since, as we are writing this post it is snowing outside, and the polar vortex is set to return tomorrow, we must wait to see if any new damage occurs if more pipes burst or the roof leaks continue.  We all need to cross our fingers and hope that there will be no glitches in the work schedule approved tonight, or the discovery of more mold throughout HMS, as the $400,000 in remediation work takes place.

Stay tuned......





Text of  Dr. Schuster's email to parents sent at 12:13 a.m. on 1/21/14:

anuary 20, 2014

Dear District 181 Community,

This is a brief update on the latest news regarding Hinsdale Middle School and the emergency Board meeting that took place this evening. A comprehensive Board Summary and much more detail will be forthcoming.

The Board of Education unanimously approved two motions (Vote 7-0). The motions authorize SERVPRO to:

• Remove the cove base (baseboards) and lower portions of drywall throughout the building, seal the area with microbial sealer, and install a new cove base at a cost of $129,512; and
• Conduct ductwork cleaning at a cost of $255,000.

The Board Summary (to be emailed and posted online January 21) will help to outline the reasons for this work and the extensive deliberation that took place during the three-hour emergency Board meeting.

In regard to the impact of these Board approvals for HMS families and staff, students will not be in attendance on Tuesday and Wednesday as previously announced so that SERVPRO can continue their work, begin baseboard removal, and additional testing can be conducted as needed. Also important to note is that the building will be closed through at least Tuesday of next week. However, the administration, per a request from the Board, is investigating the possibility of a split schedule or alternating schedule with Clarendon Hills Middle School. If such a possibility is a viable option, classes could resume later this week, but would take place at Clarendon Hills Middle School.

Communication to HMS families and staff will continue on a daily basis via email; new posts will continue to be made to the HMS Facility Updates webpage, as well.


Sincerely,

Dr. Renée Schuster
Superintendent