BIDDEFORD — On Monday, shortly after Kelsie Bernier returned to Biddeford High School with the rest of her classmates after the Thanksgiving break, she first noticed a rash forming on her wrist. Then the right side of her face felt numb, and her throat began to close. She went to the school nurse and was injected with an EpiPen used for an allergic reaction and Biddeford Rescue brought her to Southern Maine Medical Center.
Bernier was released later that day.
It was the second time during the school year she had an allergic reaction in school. Bernier’s mother and other concerned citizens expressed their anger to the School Committee on Tuesday for the lack of action to deal with what they believe to be unhealthy conditions at the school.
Marina Gagne has also had allergic reactions at the high school, and her mother told the School Committee about her concerns last week.
“My daughter, along with other students, is getting sick in this school,” said Laura Hale, Gagne’s mother.
On Monday, three classrooms were tested for mold spores and particulates.
According to a report by Nick Ferrala, an industrial hygienist with Air Quality Management Services, Inc., “Airborne spore levels were very low in all areas.”
He said he checked above the ceiling tiles and didn’t see a mold source there.
His suspicion, said Ferrala, is that air quality problems at the high school are related to reservoirs of dust in and around classroom heating units.
Additional cleaning and maintenance, especially during the current school renovation, should keep airborne mold levels within normal limits, he said.
Brian Phinney, the environmental code officer for Biddeford, also visited the high school Monday and he said he essentially concurred with Ferrala’s findings and recommendations.
He said he didn’t see anything in the ceiling tiles or heating system showing a mold source.
The general consensus, said Phinney, is that mold spores were in the classroom and moved around with classroom activity.
“I’m confident it’s a dust issue,” he said and recommended increased cleaning and inspecting the heating systems in the high school and all school buildings on a routine basis.
Phinney said he has a daughter who has asthma and allergies. Based on what he saw, Phinney said, “I would have no problems having my daughter go into those classrooms.”
Phinney noted there is increased dust and particulates in the building because of the extensive renovations taking place at the high school.
Although some precautions have been taken to separate the areas where construction is taking place from the areas where classes are taking place, additional precautions will be put in place, said Facilities Manager Phil Radding. This will include a negative air pressure ventilator that will remove dust from the interior of the building and release it into the atmosphere, he said.
Principal Britton Wolfe said additional testing in other areas of the school and stepped up cleaning would take place. He added that anyone with questions or concerns should contact him.
Despite the action that has taken place by the School Department and the city, several parents expressed anger about the problem ”“ and much of that anger was directed at Superintendent of Schools Sarah-Jane Poli.
Hale said she told her concerns last year to Poli, when her daughter first started having reactions while at the high school, but nothing was done. She accused Poli of lying about attempts to address the issue.
Dawn Demers said she received little assistance from Poli or the School Department five years ago when her son Josh became ill while attending John F. Kennedy school.
His symptoms went away when he entered the new Biddeford Middle School, she said.
But because of her concerns about the air quality of the high school, Demers said she enrolled her son at Cheverus High School.
“All I wanted was a safe environment for my son to go to school,” said Demers.
She said phone calls and e-mails to Poli went unreturned.
Poli said she researched her phone logs and said the first air quality complaint she received was on Sept. 22 and testing was conducted in the lunch room the next day. She said testing was done within two days of other complaints she received.
“I do follow through,” said Poli. “I take air quality issues very seriously. I take all issues very seriously.”
“This is about getting to the facts,” said Mayor and School Committee Chairwoman Joanne Twomey. “I’ve been fighting for air quality for 30 years,” she said, adding that she wanted to pinpoint the problem.
But, she said, “I don’t want to start a panic attack.”
Bernier said she felt better on Tuesday and planned to attend school today.
— Staff Writer Dina Mendros can be contacted at 282-1535, Ext. 324 or dmendros@journaltribune.com.
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